Latent
by PrincessofDarkness11
Summary: Harry discovers that he is a member of a strange and beautiful race known as the Caelestis. With all new powers and Dumbledore's killer as his mate, how will our darling Harry cope?
1. Chapter 1

This is my VERY FIRST Snarry fanfic

This is my VERY FIRST Snarry fanfic! **Yes, this is Snarry… SLASH- EXPLICIT… If this offends you, please let me know and I'll tell you not to read this story! **So, anyway- BE GENTLE! But not, like, fluffy… constructive criticism is okay as long as it's not hurtful… I'm sensitive. ;)

Disclaimer: Just to get this out of the way, I don't own HP or anything. Just the plot and the things that pop out of my own odd imagination! Thank you!

Chapter One

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The street light at the corner flickered before finally giving up and letting #4 Privet Drive fall into the darkness of night. Inside, one would never guess at the violent scene that had unfolded just hours before, for it was deceptively calm and quiet. It was especially so behind a locked and dead-bolted door, where a young man with messy dark-brown hair and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead lie on his back on the floor. He was completely still and appeared asleep, save for the dull green eyes gazing, unblinkingly, at the ceiling. In the soft moonlight, the purpling bruises and deep scratches on his face were barely visible, but if he was in any pain, he gave no indication.

Harry Potter's summer had gone slowly from bad to the worst of his life. He had become, what his uncle termed as 'outright rebellious'. In truth, he merely refused to do all of the work around the house and god-forbid that any of the Dursleys were forced to raise a finger! However, after a few rather painful beatings, he _had_ agreed to do the outdoor, if only because it was the one time he was actually allowed outside of the house. Not to mention that the labor would help keep him in shape.

On this particular night, he had told his uncle to bugger off when Vernon had yelled for him to 'quiet that damned bird'. He had promptly thundered up the stairs and taught his a lesson about his impertinence, during which Harry neither flinched nor made any sound of pain- which, of course, enraged Vernon further.

So, as he stared vacantly into the space above him, Harry thought of the multitude of bad decisions he'd made in his life. He glanced at his clock and saw that it was nearly five in the morning. Vernon would be leaving for work in a few hours and shortly after that, Petunia would come into his room, bandage him up to the best of her ability, give him some toast, and set to work in the yard. If Harry had to say one good thing about this summer, it would be that, while his uncle's treatment of him had only gotten worse, Petunia's had improved greatly.

He sat up grudgingly, biting back a groan when every one of his muscles protested ferociously. He ceased his movement for a moment, allowing the pain some time to ebb before standing and making his way to the worn bed in the corner. He sat down heavily, kicking off his shoes and falling back, closing his eyes. He figured that sleep, as usual, would ease the pain…

"Harry, wake up," Petunia said, "Alright, _don't_ wake up. But this might sting…"

Harry was startled into consciousness when rubbing alcohol was dabbed into the large cut across his nose. He looked into Petunia's smirking face and settled down a bit so that she could finish. When she _had_, he stood up, testing his muscles. Surprisingly, there was no pain.

"You got lucky this time," Petunia huffed, "Only a few cuts and bruises and little bump on the head."

"What?" he asked. Vernon had nearly beat the life out of him… what was she talking about?

"You heard me," she said, "It sounded a lot worse than it apparently was."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I could barely move last night."

"Well, a good night's sleep can do wonders for the body. You should try it more often," she said impatiently, "There's some fresh toast on the counter. Now, hurry and dress so that you can start on your chores. Vernon's made up quite the list…"

"Okay," he said, stretching his arms over his head as his aunt left the room. She was right, he noticed. He wasn't nearly as banged up as he had been a just a few short hours ago. He had one bandage around his upper right arm, a bandage across the bridge of his nose, and the back of his head was slightly sore. He shrugged, chalking it up to some odd magical phenomena, and pulled on a white muscle-shirt, a clean pair of faded, light blue jeans, and sneakers. He walked downstairs, grabbing the toast and an apple on his way outside.

The list was on a shelf in the shed. **1) Weed the front, back, and side gardens. If you pull out a single gardenia, I'll throttle you! 2) Mow the front and back yards. No crab-grass! 3) Water the lawn. 4) Hose off the driveway and sidewalk. 5) Clean out the shed. 6) Clean out the gutters. **Harry sighed, shaking his head. Vernon was such an autocrat…

He did the weeding first, as that required the least amount of physical labor, after which he climbed a ladder onto the roof and cleaned the gutters. By the time he had finished, it was lunchtime, when he went inside, away from the bright sun and scorching summer heat. He poured himself a glass of water and made a ham and cheese sandwich. However, he took one bite and gagged violently. He spit it out into the garbage can and, after determining that it wasn't the cheese that had gone sour, threw away the remainder of the ham and grabbed some carrot sticks.

When he finished nearly half the bag, he placed them back into the refrigerator. He walked back outside and pulled the lawnmower out of the shed, starting the motor. Shortly after starting the front lawn, Harry discarded his sweat-soaked shirt, tossing it onto the porch. He continued his work, pushing the heavy mower back and forth with ease due to his Quidditch training. While he was still lean, he was incredibly strong, with sinewy muscles covering his body.

Once the front was finished, he leaned against the handle of the mower lightly, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Um… excuse me," a small voice said.

Harry looked over to see two girls of about his age smiling shyly. He grinned at them, delighting at the blush that sprang into their cheeks.

"Er… I was just wondering- what's your name?" she asked.

"Harry. Potter," he replied.

"Really?" she said, "I knew you looked familiar. W-We went to elementary together. My name is Marie and this is Cecile."

"You've- changed…" Cecile said, speaking for the first time.

"Seven years and extensive athletic training will do that to a guy," he said. _'Not to mention several battles with the most powerful Dark Lord the world has ever known…'_

"What school do you go to? I only ever see you around in the summer," Marie said.

"I go away for school," Harry replied, "But I'm graduating this year." _'Or I would be if I was going back…'_

"Really? That's so cool. You must be really smart to graduate early," Cecile said, gazing up at him adoringly. _'I guess you don't have to be famous to have a fan club… being gorgeous will do just fine, as well.'_

He chuckled, thinking of what Hermione would say to that. "Not really…"

"Shouldn't you be finishing the back yard?" Dudley said from the porch.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, making them giggle. "I guess I have to get back to work."

"Maybe we'll see you around…" Cecile said, barely disguising the hope in her voice.

"I'm sure you will," he said, flashing them a toothy grin and a wink.

They scurried away, giggling excitedly, and Harry began pulling the mower into the back yard. He was aware that Dudley followed him, but paid no mind to it. He finished the back much quicker, as it was half-covered by a large wooden deck, and pushed the mower back into the shed.

"So, when did you get so popular with the girls?" Dudley asked.

"I dunno… the girls have always liked me at school," Harry replied, "Maybe I just got hotter."

Dudley rolled his eyes. "Why'd you throw away the ham?"

"It was spoiled," Harry said, eyeing his skeptically.

"Mum just bought it yesterday. It was fine," Dudley said.

"What do you want?" Harry snapped, "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing!" he said, raising his hands in surrender, "Just having a civil conversation with my cousin."

"_Why_?" Harry said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well… because I figure you have to put up with a lot of bull shit from my dad, so you don't need any more from me," Dudley replied.

"How kind," Harry said sarcastically, passing him on his way into the house.

"Come on. I'm trying to be nice," Dudley said, following him, "Can't we just put our past differences behind us?"

Harry sighed. "It can't just forget sixteen years of torment. It's not that easy… I wish it was, but it's not."

"Why can't it be? I've done it," Dudley said.

"Yes, but you were the tormentor," Harry retorted," I was the _tormented_. Anyway, in two days I turn seventeen and then I'm leaving here for good."

"But your school doesn't start until September," Dudley said.

"I know, but in the wizarding world, you become an adult at the age of seventeen," Harry explained, "And I'm _not_ going back to school, so it doesn't matter."

"Why aren't you going back?" Dudley asked.

"Because- why am I telling you this? Don't you have something to do, somewhere to be, someone to beat up…?" Harry said.

"No," Dudley replied, "All of my friends are away or working or at boot camp."

"What a surprise…" Harry muttered, "Why didn't you go with your mum."

"Shopping?" Dudley laughed, "I don't think so."

Harry growled in frustration. "Fine, since it looks like I'm not getting rid of you, we'll watch T.V." _'Maybe then you'll shut your food hole.'_

They sat down of the sofa and Harry opened a bag of potato chips, popping one into his mouth. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, shoving the bag at Dudley and rushing into the kitchen. He returned moments later with a sliced apple and turned the channel to jeopardy.

"Why'd you throw these at me? They taste fine," Dudley said.

"I don't know… lately I've only been able to stomach fruits, vegetables, bread, and mild and stuff. Meat and greasy food makes me ill," Harry explained, "Don't ask why, because I have _no_ clue."

"Maybe you're allergic…" Dudley suggested.

Harry shrugged. _'If television and chips don't shut him up, what will?'_

"So…" Dudley said, "What's it like?"

"What's _what_ like?" Harry asked, sighing.

"Magic… what's it like being able to do magic?" Dudleyasked.

Harry smiled. "Wicked. Your arm goes all tingly."

"Must be nice," Dudley said, keeping his eyes trained on the television screen.

Harry bagan to understand. "I guess, but believe it or not, the wizarding world is actually kind of behind the muggle world in some ways."

"How so?"

"Most witches and wizards don't know what a telephone is," Harry said, chuckling when Dudley's eyes widened, "I know, and very few of them have television or a computer or even electricity."

"How do you communicate with each other?" Dudley asked.

"We use fire places. You've seen how the floo network works, but we can do fire calls, too. That's where you stick your head in the fire and talk to people," Harry said, "It's _really_ weird."

"That's so much cooler than a telephone," Dudley said.

Harry smirked. A couple days of being friendly with Dudley couldn't hurt anything, right? After all, he seemed genuinely interested in the magical community… and so the rest of the day was spent with Dudley asking and Harry answering.

Petunia came home later that day, after Harry had finished with the rest of his chores, and fixed steak and peas and French bread for dinner, making and especially small steak for Harry. However, just the smell of the steak made him queasy, so he made a plate of peas and bread, grabbed the last of the carrot sticks, and ate in his room. Thankfully, when he took his dishes back downstairs, his uncle wasn't home yet. In fact, by the time Vernon _did_ get home, Harry had gone to bed. Of course, in Harry's world, 'going to bed' meant lying in bed and thinking about how crappy his life was while being as silent as possible until sleep came around one in the morning.

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That's all for chapter one. I know it's rather short, but I SERIOUSLY promise that the next one will be longer. This one was only eight pages written down and the next has a grand total of twenty-one pages in my notebook. A big difference, no? Please review as much as you can! I'd really like some feedback on how I'm doing so far. If you need some incentive to keep reading this story, I'll tell you that you find out all about the strange race that Harry belongs to and I'm ever-so-proud of how well thought out it is! So please go along with it!! I promise it'll be GREAT. See you next time… I hope!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own it, and I never will… unfortunately… if I did I'd be one rich mother-

Disclaimer: I don't own it, and I never will… unfortunately… if I _did_ I'd be one rich mother-!

Chapter Two

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Harry woke to the smell of bacon, eggs, and hash-browns. His first impulse was to empty the contents of his stomach, but as there was currently nothing to empty, he only gagged slightly. Once he got over the initial nausea, he pulled on a black t-shirt and jeans and went downstairs. He looked at the clock and saw that it was half-past noon.

"Hey," he said to Dudley, "Why is she cooking breakfast so late?"

"What?" Dudley said, raising an eyebrow at him, "Mum's not even _here._ She went to lunch with one of her friends."

"But- I smell bacon and eggs…" Harry replied.

Dudley sniffed the air. "Well, that _is_ what we had for breakfast, but I don't smell anything."

"That's odd," Harry said, "Oh well… I'm going outside. I can't stand this smell any longer. See you later."

"Hang on, I'll go with you," Dudley said, standing and pulling on his shoes just as Harry opened the door.

He sighed, waiting for his cousin impatiently. They walked outside and Harry had to shield his eyes, momentarily, from the onslaught of vibrant colors, more than the sun. When the intensity subsided, he started walking, with Dudley right at his side.

"So, why have you suddenly become so interested in magic?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know," Dudley replied, "I guess I just figured that it's as much a part of this world as I am, so it'd be better to know about it than to ignore it… right?"

Harry smiled. "That's exactly right. If more muggles thought like that, we wouldn't have to keep ourselves so segregated."

Dudley seemed to think about that for a moment. "That wouldn't really work…"

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked.

"The way you describe it, I think it would be harder for the magical community to accept muggles," Dudley said, "I don't want to offend you or anything, but wizards might find it hard to live with technology. Just as we'd never survive by candlelight. The worlds are just too different. Both are developed in their own ways, but both are also kind of deficient in their own ways, too, right?"

"Good point," Harry said, "But then you could also say that the two worlds would compliment each other that way, and that if they came together as one, we would be a lot better off."

"Or destroyed," Dudley countered, "If the two came together, they'd not only gain the benefits of each other, but the weapons as well. That could mean a lot of trouble."

"But muggles can't _use_ magic," Harry said, grinning.

"Scientists would study and analyze magic in order to find a way to harvest that power and use it to gain an advantage over other countries," Dudley said, "It's like a complex we've got."

"I noticed," Harry said, "You're a lot more intelligent than I would have thought."

It was Dudley's turn to grin. "Yes, I know."

"Smart ass," Harry muttered.

"So, do you want to tell me why you're not going back to school this year?" Dudley asked.

Harry's mood darkened. "Not really."

"Right," Dudley said.

They walked in silence for a bit before Harry suddenly stopped. He turned to Dudley, fear shining in his eyes.

"What's today?" he asked.

"Thursday, why?" Dudley replied.

Harry paled. "Uncle Vernon always comes home _early_ on Thursdays. Shit, we have to get back. It's almost two!"

They sprinted back through the neighborhood, darting through alleys and yards. When they reached the house and Harry saw Vernon's car in the driveway, he nearly fainted. Not only had he left the house, but he hadn't done any of his chores for the day. They stepped through the door and Vernon looked from his spot on the sofa.

"Where were you?" he growled, "No, I can guess! You were off, dragging Dudley on some delinquent adventure, no doubt!"

"He didn't _drag_ me anywhere," Dudley defended, quietly.

Vernon stood, his eyes impossibly narrow, almost disappearing in his huge face. "You don't have to be afraid of him, son. It's not as if he can hurt you- can't even _do_ magic outside of that freak school of yours, can you boy?"

"Not until midnight, anyway," Harry mumbled.

"What was that?" Vernon snapped.

"At midnight, tonight, I turn seventeen and, by _our_ law, become an adult and completely able to legally perform magic outside of Hogwarts," Harry said, his eyes glaring a silent challenge at his overweight uncle.

"Go to your room, now!" Vernon snarled, "I'll be up after _we_ are done eating dinner to teach you a lesson about lying."

"Yeah, whatever," Harry said, walking up the stairs to his room.

The door opened and Harry sat up in bed, blinking at the sudden light that invaded his senses. He looked at his clock and saw that it was almost midnight. Vernon shut the door, plunging the room into darkness again.

"It's five minutes till midnight!" Harry grumbled.

"I want you to be unconscious when you turn seventeen- no funny business from _you_," Vernon said, dragging him off of the bed by his hair.

Over the next few minutes, Vernon attempted to do as much damage as he could in the least amount of time, using his fists, feet, and any blunt object he could get his fat hands on to break as many bones in Harry's body as he could get to.

The clock chimed midnight and he dropped Harry's unconscious form to the floor. He turned to leave when Harry let out a blood-curdling scream. Vernon spun around to see Harry's bones realigning with sickening pops. His cuts and bruises disappeared before Vernon's eyes and he stared in horror as Harry's body levitated three feet off of the ground.

Harry's eyes snapped open and he screamed again, revealing unnaturally long canine teeth. His fingernail grew into claws and his t-shirt was suddenly shredded by some invisible force. The cool air did nothing to soothe the agonizing burning in his back, though. Suddenly there was a sound like ripping flesh and two large, blindingly white wings burst from the exact spot that had been burning so furiously a moment earlier.

"You're even more of freak than I thought!" Vernon exclaimed when Harry landed on his knees on the floor. He began advancing on Harry, who shuddered at the obvious rage of his uncle.

He shut his eyes tightly, focusing only on getting out of the house. _'Just need somewhere safe… anywhere safe,'_ he thought before he disappeared.

Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy were sitting by the fire in the quaint two bedroom house that they had rented from some clueless muggles, discussing Draco's future, when a loud crash interrupted them. They stood quickly, whipping around to see a boy with dark hair and angelic white wings kneeling amongst the books he had knocked over when he appeared. His arms were wrapped around himself, as though he was attempting to rip his own wings off. He looked up at them with clouded green eyes, barely registering who he was seeing.

"It burns…" he whispered, falling forward with a dull thud.

"What the hell?" Draco said, following Severus over to the boy, "What _is_ he?"

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure," he replied, picking the boy up, "I'll have to ask him some questions when he wakes up."

Draco fell into step behind the older man as he carried the unconscious boy into his own room and laid him carefully on his bed. "He looks familiar…" Draco said.

Severus narrowed his eyes and pushed the boy's hair away from his forehead lightly. Draco gasped audibly at the lightning bolt scar that stood out in stark contrast to his sickly pale skin. Severus stepped back a bit when Harry shivered and muttered something in his sleep. He covered Harry with a blanket before ushering Draco out of the room and back to the sofa by the warm hearth.

"That was Potter? Are you- how is this- bloody hell!" Draco exclaimed, "What happened to him?"

Severus sighed. "I'm pretty sure that the moment he turned seventeen, a latent gene was activated in his DNA. If I'm not very much mistaken, Mr. Potter is a Caelestis."

"Right… how could I have _missed_ that?" Draco said sarcastically, "What is it?"

"I think it would be better for me to explain it when Mr. Potter has awakened," Severus replied, "He is, no doubt, incredibly confused and utterly clueless as to his heritage."

"Okay," Draco said, "In the meantime, do you think we should sleep?"

"You may go to bed, but as mine is currently occupied, I'll stay here," Severus said and Draco nodded, excusing himself.

Severus ran a hand through his hair. _'Tomorrow is going to be a long day…'_

Severus woke with a throbbing pain in his neck. He didn't remember falling asleep on the sofa, or even when he closed his eyes, but he silently cursed himself for not thinking to grab a pillow. He sat up, wincing when his back cracked loudly.

"It's about time you woke up," Draco said, "It's nearly three in the afternoon. What time did you drift off?"

"I don't remember," Severus said, rubbing his neck, "I was trying to think of everything I'd read about the Caelestis race and I guess I- fell asleep."

"All of those all-nighters must be finally catching up with you," Draco teased.

"Is that what I am? A- Caelestis?" a small voice said from behind Draco and they turned to see Harry leaning against a wall for support.

"You shouldn't be up," Severus said, standing and walking over to him.

Harry recoiled from the hand that reached for him, but then a strong scent of vanilla invaded his senses and he leaned forward slightly. When he realized what he was doing, he looked up at his former professor, startled.

"How did I get here? I wanted to be somewhere safe, not in the den of Dumbledore's killers."

Draco grimaced. "Listen, Potter, you don't know what you're talking about!" he spat, tears springing into his eyes, "My mum is dead, now, and all because I _couldn't_ kill that old codger!"

Harry dropped his gaze to the floor in guilt. He had read about Narcissa Malfoy's death, but he hadn't tied it to Draco's failure.

"Come and sit down," Severus said, guiding Harry, gently, to a stool near the fire, "We have much to talk about."

Harry sat obediently. "Why don't you just kick me out?"

"Because, for one thing, this a muggle town, and we don't want to risk drawing any attention, and for another, you wouldn't survive ten minutes outside of these wards," Severus said.

"Why is that?" Harry challenged.

"We'll get to it in a moment," Severus replied, "Right now, I think we should clear up a few things."

"There's nothing you can say that will make me forgive you," Harry said, "So don't even try."

Severus raised an eyebrow at him. "Have you heard of the Unbreakable Vow?"

"Yes, Ron told me about it," Harry said.

"Good, he just saved me from a rather long explanation," Severus said, "Then let me tell you that I _took_ an Unbreakable Vow for Narcissa Malfoy. I agreed to complete Draco's mission for him, should he be unable to complete it himself. Before you say anything, I couldn't have refused, because Bellatrix Lestrange, who was our binder, would have killed me on the spot."

"Even so, you could have broken the vow and spared his life!" Harry exclaimed.

"The vow would have then taken my own life," Severus said calmly.

"Do you get it, yet?" Draco asked, "It was kill or be killed!"

"I would rather die myself than kill an innocent man in cold blood," Harry retorted.

"As would I, Mr. Potter, but Albus wouldn't hear of it," Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he had a headache, "We discussed it on several occasions, in fact. Albus believed that I could do more for our cause than he."

"But _why_? Why would he believe that?" Harry asked, feeling the tears burning in his eyes, "He was the most powerful wizard I knew- the only one Voldemort feared! How could he- think something like that?"

"Albus Dumbledore's power was fading fast," Severus replied, "His arm was withered, as I'm sure you noticed. Had I not been forced to kill him at the time, he would not have been around much longer anyway."

Harry shook his head. "You're wrong! He would have gotten better!"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Potter," Severus said, looking at him sympathetically, "Now, you need to calm down. It won't do for you to cause yourself any unnecessary stress."

"Unnecessary? How can you say that?" Harry practically screamed, coming to stand directly in front of Severus, "You really are heartless! I can't believe you- that you…"

Harry suddenly pitched forward, unconscious, into Severus' lap. He gathered the boy into his arm, careful of the large wings still protruding from his back. He looked over to see Draco staring at Harry curiously.

"I warned him not to cause himself any stress…" Severus said.

"Is he going to be okay?" Draco asked.

"He'll be fine. He just overloaded his emotions," Severus told him and Harry moaned, "See? He's already awake."

Harry was, again, engulfed in the scent of vanilla. "Mmm… smells nice…" he mumbled, making Severus lift an eyebrow at him. He blushed, realizing that he had though aloud, and pushed himself away from the Potions Master. He sat on the stool once more, trying to think of something to say to break the tense silence.

However, Severus broke it for him. "How is your back?"

Harry looked over his shoulder at his newly acquired appendages. "It's fine. I can even control their movement." To illustrate this, he expanded them, stopping just short of a rather old looking vase, and then folded them to his back neatly. "It's kind of fun once you're used to it."

Draco chuckled. _'Like a child with a new toy…'_ he thought, smiling.

"As you're now aware, Mr. Potter, you are a member of an ancient race known as the Caelestis. Literally translated, the word 'caelestis' means heavenly," Severus said, "I'm sure you've noticed that you have gained wings, claws on both hands and feet, elongated canines, and heightened senses. What you may _not_ know is tat your physical and magical strength has dramatically increased, as well. And, if you cared to take a look at yourself, you might have noticed the light blue markings on your cheeks and winding around your arms and legs. Honestly, mirrors are very useful. Maybe if you took a look in one now and then, you would realize the importance of eating. These signify that you are only a youngling. They will fade as your powers develop and get stronger."

Harry scowled, but mainly because he was right. He _hadn't_ noticed the markings, one on each cheek, under his eyes, in the shape of a triangle, or the thin stripes twisting around his arms and legs in largely spaced intervals. He felt an awful lot like some strange pagan war-god or something.

"There's a legend about the Caelestis. It's merely a story, but it's how they gained the name 'The Forgotten'. It states that the Caelestis were sent to earth from heaven to pass the final judgment on mortals," Severus explained.

"I know this story," Draco interrupted, "My mum used to tell it to me. Their mission was abandoned because they believed that the innocence or guilt of all could not be judged on the actions of few. However, some of the Caelestis were forgotten on earth, so they couldn't return to their home. After that, they just wandered around, dispensing justice where it was needed."

"That's the _legend_, of course. Nobody knows the truth of how they came to be, but we are certainly working on it," Severus said, "Until two centuries ago, your kind were hunted by muggle 'demon-slayers' as well as wizards for being thought of as dark creatures."

"Why?" Harry asked, "If our name means heavenly, why would people think we were dark?"

"Because of your need for a weekly feed of blood," Severus replied, holding up a hand to stifle Harry's protests, "It's only once a week, the donor is required to be willing, and it's _necessary_. It sustains your self-healing powers. If you were to go for a long period of time without blood, every wound you had ever suffered would suddenly resurface."

"That sounds painful," Draco said, cringing at the thought.

"Indeed it is," Severus replied, "It would most likely cause the body to go into shock and the heart would eventually fail."

"How nice," Harry said sardonically, "So, I'm a mutilated vampire?"

"Nothing even similar," Severus assured him, "You are an elemental- your main element being air. The Caelestis feed, magically, on strong emotions like anger, sadness, and lust. Rest assured you are nothing like a Dementor- you do not feed on happiness. The Caelestis are creatures of the light, and therefore abhor causing despair."

"How is it that you know so much about them, when I've never even heard of one actually _existing_?" Draco asked.

"They were hunted to such extremes that they are classified as endangered by the Ministry. Information about them is highly restricted and the only reason I know so much is because I know one of the twelve- now thirteen- that exist personally," Severus enlightened, "She sends me samples of her wings so that I may test their healing qualities in potions."

"But even if they were hunted, they had to have reproduced and increased in numbers, right?" Harry said.

Severus sighed. "Many Caelestis never find their mate, and simply settle with a normal witch or wizard. This causes the recession of the gene for many generations. I'm sure this is what happened in your case, as well."

"Wait just a minute! _Mate_?" Harry interjected, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I'm sure you know what a mate is," Severus said, raising an eyebrow at the boy, "The Caelestis all have one mate that they are instinctively drawn to. This person is also known as the Carus, or Beloved. They are _all_ male, despite the gender of the Caelestis themselves."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Then- how do they- we- reproduce?"

"The Caelestis are all capable of conception- yes, _you_, Mr. Potter. I do not know the exact process, though I do know that it is not in the way of humans. Therefore, no, you do not have to give birth- if you even find your mate."

Draco grinned at the stricken look on Harry's face. "Better you than me."

"Is there anything else I should know about myself?" Harry groaned.

"Yes, of course. You will not handle man-made food very well, and are completely intolerant to meat. Fruits, vegetables, milk, juice, and bread are about the only things you will be able to eat- when you eat, that is. Your appetite will, if it hasn't already, decrease significantly. Alcohol will have a very strong effect on you, so I advise you to stay away from it. Your powers will be strongest during the new moon, and you may rid yourself of those wings at any time."

"What? Are you serious?" Harry asked.

Severus nodded. "You should wait to try until you have regained some of your strength, though."

"Right," Harry said, agreeing with the man, for once.

"When your powers settle in, you may notice a deep blue lining around your iris. This signifies that your body has fully accepted its new form," Severus said, "And, with a little training, you will soon be able to perform wandless and elemental magic. I have already trained Draco in the art of wandless magic, so I'm sure he'd be willing to give you a few pointers."

"So, why can't I leave again?" Harry asked.

Severus smirked. "Ah, yes… now that the gene has been activated, vampires, veelas, and- werewolves- will al begin to seek you out. They will be drawn to your power until the moment you are either claimed by your mate or able to conceal your true nature. You are especially vulnerable now, and will continue to be for about a week due to the amount of strength your transformation took out of you. In your weakened state it would be easy for any creature to forcibly claim you. Therefore, I suggest that you not try to visit Lupin until you are sure that he will remain unaffected in your presence, Mr. Potter."

"We're not at Hogwarts. You should call me Harry," he said.

"Why would I want to do a thing like that?" Severus asked, smirking.

"Well, you don't talk down to- Draco?" he looked to the blonde for permission and, when he nodded, continued, "So you should talk down to me, either."

"I suppose you have a point," Severus conceded, "Very well, but if I am to call you by your given name, then it's only fair that you should return the courtesy."

Harry marveled at the thought of calling a Professor by their first name and smiled. "Fine. It's a deal."

"So, you must be pretty hungry, eh?" Draco said, standing, "Come on, I'll show you the kitchen."

Harry followed him obediently into the small kitchen area, where Draco stuck his head into the refrigerator and pulled out apples, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and grapes. He set them on the counter and retrieved a large Tupperware bowl, a cutting board, and a paring knife. He set the cutting board down in front of Harry and handed him the knife.

"Cut these up while I go ask Sev something, okay?" Draco said, leaving Harry alone in the kitchen for a moment before he returned, "Do you like cinnamon?"

"Er- yeah…" Harry replied, making fast work of the fruit.

Draco grinned. "Good."

A few minutes later, they had the fruit in the bowl and Draco drizzled a very light cinnamon glaze over it. He then took out three forks and three bowls, filling each of them up, with an especially large helping for Harry. They walked back into the living room and Draco forced one bowl into Severus' hands. Harry practically inhaled his, and had himself two more heaping piles of the fruit salad before he finally felt full and rejuvenated.

"Where'd you learn how to make that?" Harry asked.

"My mum… it was one of the few dishes she knew how to make," Draco said, "Sev usually does most of the cooking."

"I was wondering" Harry said, "Why don't you explain yourselves to the Ministry? I'm sure you'd be freed of all charges if they knew the truth."

"We did and we were," Severus said, grinning, "Under the influence of the Veritaserum, no less."

"What?" Harry exclaimed, "Why didn't I hear about that?"

"Nobody did. The Ministry of Magic felt that it would be best to keep it a secret. Thus we are in hiding so that the magical community can be kept- in the dark, so to speak," Severus explained, "However, we are also hiding from the Dark Lord."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because I failed to kill Dumbledore," Draco answered, "And because Sev could have easily killed you that night, but all he did was run away."

"Oh… sorry," Harry said.

Draco laughed. "Sorry for what? Surviving? Don't be so stupid."

"Sorry-"

"And stop apologizing!" Draco exclaimed, chuckling.

Harry grinned sheepishly.

"Now that you've eaten and regained some strength," Severus said, "Would like to try dispelling your wings?"

Harry nodded vigorously.

"Good, then I want you to close your eyes and clear your mind. Are you ready?" At another nod, Severus continued, "Picture your wings very clearly, and then picture your back without them there and simply _will_ them away."

'_Easier said than done…'_ Harry thought, but did as he was told, wishing with all of his heart that they would leave him so he could sit somewhere other than that stupid stool. He felt a warmth pulse up his spine and opened his eyes to see the wings disappearing. The feathers were shedding rapidly, floating upward and then fading away into small orbs of light and disappearing. He smiled at the beautiful sight and then sighed when they were gone, moving to sit between Severus and Draco.

"When you want them back, just call them to you," Severus said, "It will get easier after the first few times, don't worry."

"Thanks…" Harry said, "Er- I'd really like to get my things back from my uncle's house. Especially Hedwig- if he hasn't already killed her."

Severus raised his eyebrows at him, but nodded. He approached the fire and threw a handful of powder into it. Nymphadora Tonks' head popped into the fire a moment later and she gasped when she saw Harry.

"Thank God you're okay," she said, and then yelled, presumably over her shoulder, "Remus, he's okay!"

"Listen," Severus said impatiently, "I don't have time to explain everything, but Mr. Potter's personal belongings need to be retrieved from his relatives."

"Why didn't he bring them with him?" Tonks asked.

Suddenly, Remus' head replaced hers. "The better question would be; how did he find you two? Tonks and I are your Secret Keepers and we haven't told anybody."

"It's a long story," Harry said, "I'll just say that- well, I wanted to be somewhere safe and I ended up apparating here. I'll write and tell you the rest, okay? It would take too long to explain."

Remus sighed. "Fine, I'll bring your things over in a little bit."

"No!" Severus snapped, "Have Tonks bring them."

Remus' eyes were spitting fire when he looked at Severus. "Why can't _I_?"

"Harry's letter will explain, but right now you just need to trust me," Severus said, "If you were in the same room as this boy… you may end up doing something you'll regret."

Remus looked over at Harry, taking in his blue markings and claws. "Severus…"

"Harry will explain," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Please, Remus," Harry said, "He may have already killed Hedwig…"

Remus sighed again. "Alright, Harry, but I want that letter to be as thorough as possible."

"Then maybe I should just have Severus write it for me," Harry said, smirking.

"_Severus_, eh?" Remus said, casting a questioning glare on the aforementioned man.

"The clock is ticking, wolf," he snarled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Tonks will be over in a bit," Remus said, and his head disappeared, leaving the normal fire to burn, once again.

Harry groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Why the hell does my left always have to be so bloody complicated? What did I ever do that made the world decide to completely screw me over?!"

"You're Harry Potter, _savior_ of the world!" Draco said, "Your life can never be dull."

"It's all Voldemort's fault!" Harry exclaimed vehemently, "Did you know that if he hadn't attacked me to begin with, he could be running the world right now?"

"What are you on about?" Draco asked.

"The _Prophecy_, damn it!" Harry exploded, "The git didn't even hear the whole thing before he went off trying to kill me! It said that a child would be born at the end of July and that he would _mark them as his equal_. When he gave me this stupid scar, he set the prophecy into motion."

"Mr. Longbottom was also born at the end of July," Severus said.

"That's right," Harry spat bitterly, "Voldemort chose his own executioner… dumb ass. I would say that I wish he'd chosen Neville, but I wouldn't wish this responsibility on anybody. Being the 'only one able to kill him'- bull shit."

"What else did the prophecy say?" Draco asked inquisitively.

"I've got it memorized," he muttered, "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have a power that the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.'_" He recited it exactly, having written it down shortly after hearing it and going over it thousand and a half times.

"That's heavy," Draco said.

"You have no idea," Harry avowed.

"You were wrong, though," Severus said, "It could not have been Mr. Longbottom."

"What?" Harry said, looking up at where the man was still standing.

"He has no power that the Dark Lord knows not. You have your status as a Caelestis, but he has nothing," Severus stated.

"Dumbledore told me that the power was love," Harry said quietly.

"Albus always had too romantic a heart," Severus said sadly, "And perhaps he was right for a time. Your mother's sacrifice of love saved your life, but it became null and void when the Dark Lord took your blood, didn't it? So it can no longer be that power."

"I- guess you're right," Harry said, "But that just makes it even more unfair!"

"Perhaps your time would be better spent doing something constructive," Severus chastised, "Rather than complaining about things you can't change."

"I know…" Harry replied, "But what am I supposed to do when I can't even leave this dumb house?"

"You could take a nap," Draco suggested, "You know… rest as much as you can until you're strong enough to start training."

"That's actually a good idea," Severus agreed.

"I'm not tired," Harry pouted, "I'd rather find out more about that mate I need to be looking out for."

"Another time, Harry," Severus said in his 'Professor-tone', "At the moment, I want you to get some more rest."

Harry stood, walking into the room he'd woken up in and lying on the bed. Much to his annoyance, once he was lying under the soft blankets, he felt fatigue settle in deeply, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he drifted into slumber.

"Sev, why couldn't you just answer a few questions and then make him rest?" Draco asked.

"Because," Severus replied, "I think I know who his mate is."

Draco raised an eyebrow at him. "_Who_?"

Severus sighed, running a hand over his face and sitting heavily on the sofa. "Me…"

XXXhpXXX

Wow… it's quite a bit longer than I expected it to be. I hope you liked it, and please excuse any typos. My fingers were really cold when I typed this and I may have missed a few in my reread. Until next time… au revoir!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own it

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I also don't know why we have to do these things… (Besides the 'let's-not-get-sued' aspect)… everybody knows we don't own Harry Potter, because if we did, we wouldn't bother with writing fanfiction and we'd just put it in the books!

A/N: Here you go. The long awaited third chapter of this story!

Chapter Three

XXXhpXXX

Draco just stared at him. "I'm sorry, did you just tell me that _you_ are- Harry Potter's _mate_?"

"Don't you dare laugh! I'm serious… all of the signs point to it being either me, or you," Severus said, "A Caelestis will be subconsciously drawn to their mate, with whom they feel the safest, which would explain why he came here when he was in distress."

"Is that _all_ you have to go on?" Draco asked, skeptically.

"Of course not. I also have extensive knowledge of the Carus," Severus said, "They are very powerful and are usually skill in the Dark Arts. This is why they are sometimes referred to as the Dark Beloved."

"That could be any number of wizards, Sev," Draco said, "You're getting worried over nothing."

"There's more," he sighed, "Ever since he arrived, I've wanted to do nothing but…" He groaned in semi-disgust, resting his forehead in his palm. "I've wanted to do nothing but- take him in my arms and erase every ounce of suffering he's gone through."

Draco could only blink at the uncharacteristic admission. "But- I'm sure a lot of people get that way around Harry."

"The Carus feels an overwhelming need to protect their Caelestis," Severus said, "They want nothing more than to make each other happy. This could explain why he's been obeying my orders with so few complaints."

"Right… I've got nothing to say to that," Draco said, "Are you going to tell him?"

"No," Severus said, leaning back and staring at the ceiling, "He could never be happy being forced into a relationship just because it's destiny. His life has been all about fate, so I want this to be something _he_ controls."

Draco grinned. "What's the plan?"

"He'll spend the summer here, of course. I'll just try to spend as much time with him as I can," Severus said, "I want him to trust me- I know his heart does, but his mind is still resisting his natural instincts. When I think he's ready, I'll tell him everything and give him the choice."

"Sounds like a good plan," Draco said, "But I think you should tell him now."

"He would reject the bond even more fiercely and could become seriously ill," Severus countered.

"This is just _too_ weird," Draco said, "This sudden attitude change of yours… it's scary really."

Severus smirked. "Believe me, Draco, my attitude hasn't changed. My personality has just been altered slightly to incorporate my feelings for Harry."

"It's still scary," Draco said, rolling his eyes, "And it's a bit too sudden, don't you think? One day you hate him, then he changes into some strange being and then suddenly you're in love with him? How can you be so calm about all this?"

"Yes it _is_ sudden, but I assure you that it was not over-night," Severus said, "Though you may find it hard to believe, I had been suppressing feelings for the boy for nearly a year."

'_That explains why you were so uptight all of last year…'_ Draco thought, grimacing.

"Yes, I know- I'm a perverted old man… I told myself so regularly," Severus stated, "Also, I never said that I _loved_ him- merely that I was predestined as his mate and have feelings for him. I don't even know if I ever _will_ grow to love Harry, or him me."

Draco felt his heart clench at the thought that they might be denied love if they follow destiny's plan. He then mentally smacked himself for being so pessimistic. Of course they wouldn't be denied love! After everything that they'd both been through, _something_ had to go their way, right?

"Furthermore," Severus continued, "I am anything but calm. I may look it, but I am most definitely _not_ calm. All I can think about is how many ways this could go wrong… how many ways I could mess this up and leave us both hurting and alone."

Draco was, again, thrown into shock by Severus' display of emotion. One bloody day around Harry and Severus was already showing a long-forgotten part of himself- the part that worries, fears… _feels_. Draco smiled. They would be good for each other, he decided, and made his mind up to help them along.

"So- is mating just sex?" Draco asked.

Severus nearly choked on his own breath at the sudden question. "Er… no, it's not. That's the first part of it, but there's also the exchange of words and the soul-bonding."

"What's a soul-bonding?" Draco asked, taking mental notes.

"It occurs after intercourse," Severus explained, "When the Caelestis and the Carus fully accept their status with one another and, in turn, fully realize their love for the other. The souls merge through the mutual love and are permanently bound. In the past, the Caelestis were killed before this final stage could be reached, more often than not betrayed by their own Carus. Even now, some do not grow to love each other and are never fully mated."

"What happens to them?" Draco asked.

"They live in partial contentment, sometimes starting families with other witches or wizards," Severus replied.

"So… Harry won't be safe on his own until you love each other?" Draco asked, wrinkling his nose at having to voice that.

"No, only until the initial claiming," he corrected.

"Oh… so you have to shag, right?"

"Yes… what are you getting at?" Severus snapped.

"Nothing! I'm just curious," Draco said, holding up his hands, "Um- what words have to be exchanged?"

"It's not actually speaking. The Caelestis must feed from their Carus so that they may be joined in the way and the language of the Ancients," he said.

"Right… and how will other creatures know that a Caelestis has been claimed?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Aside from a change in scent, the moment penetration occurs, a black mark in the shape of a cross will appear on the left palm of the Caelestis."

Draco frowned. "You sound like you're reading all of this from a textbook."

"Why are you so interested?" Severus asked, "Are you planning on meddling in my affairs?"

"Would I do something like that?" Draco said innocently.

"Yes," Severus retorted.

"Alright… maybe a _little_ meddling, but I swear I won't tell Harry anything!" Draco said, crossing his heart with his pinky.

"You'd better not," Severus warned, "Because if you do…"

"I know," Draco said, smiling, "You'll do unspeakably painful things to me."

There was a sudden pop and Tonks was standing in front of them with Harry's trunk in one hand and Hedwig's cage in the other. Thankfully, Hedwig was sleeping peacefully. Tonks grinned toothily at them, handing Hedwig to Draco.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Sleeping," Severus answered simply, "He's incredibly exhausted, so I don't think we should wake him."

"Oh…" she said sadly.

Severus sighed. "But I suppose you could take a look at him for yourself. That way you can tell the wolf that he's fine."

She darted to the room that Severus pointed to, opening the door as quietly as she could to see Harry sleeping peacefully on the bed. She sighed, thankful to have seen him in the flesh, and closed the door, walking back into the living room.

"Thanks," she said, "But that'll only hold him off for so long. I hope that letter arrives soon." She disapparated, leaving Draco gazing curiously at the owl in his lap, and Severus shaking his head.

"What an odd woman," Severus said, "Let's move his things into your room Draco. Is that okay with you?"

"It's fine," he said, "You'll have to summon another bed, though, because I don't really feel like sharing my bed with a guy…"

"That's good, because I don't really feel like sharing my _mate_ with a guy," Severus growled.

Draco laughed, following Severus and setting Hedwig's cage on his desk. In a few moments, Severus had conjured a bed, pillows, and blankets, and Harry's trunk was sitting at the foot of the bed. Draco sighed, sitting down at his desk and pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill, writing down everything that Severus had told him. Severus left him alone and, after checking on Harry, made his way back into the living room to think about what would happen in a month when the new term started.

Draco would be going back. That was one of the stipulations for them to go into hiding together. However, he had no idea what Harry planned on doing, though he imagined it would be something disgustingly noble. He had surely already received his Hogwarts letter, but that didn't mean he'd be going back. Minerva had decided to keep the school open for those students who wished to return, but even she knew that many would _not_, and simply be schooled at home.

He heard a door open and close and looked over to see Harry step into the room, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Not tired, eh?" Severus said, grinning.

"You were right, as usual. Don't gloat, it's unbecoming," Harry said, "Has Tonks been here, yet?"

"Yes, and your things are in Draco's room," Severus replied, smiling, "Along with your owl."

"Hedwig? She's okay?" Harry gave him no time to reply as he ran into the room and straight to Hedwig's cage. He opened the door and she flew around the room once before coming to rest on Harry's shoulder. He stroked he back fondly as she moved closer to his head, nipping his ear affectionately.

Severus watched the display, a small, secret smile playing across his lips. Harry looked back at him, silent tears falling down his cheeks, and Severus fought the urge to embrace him.

"I thought for sure that he'd kill her…" Harry whispered.

Hedwig hooted softly, giving his ear another nip.

"Why would your relatives kill your owl?" Draco asked.

"Mostly my uncle. He's the kind of muggle who hates anything associated with magic," Harry said, "Especially me."

Severus rolled his eyes, already dismissing the statement as normal teenage self-pity.

Harry sat down on his bed with Hedwig clinging to him the entire way. "Why do you think I wanted to be somewhere safe? Vernon had just broken most of the bones in my body… When I transformed, they all just popped back into place and he started toward me again. I just wanted out of there." He refused to meet either of their gazes, focusing, instead, on the patchwork quilt he was sitting on. "I guess I had and _attitude_ or something. I would only do the outside chores, because it got me out of the house and doing something to stay in shape. God forbid that any of them ever had to do laundry, or dishes, or cook, or clean… I guess it really pissed him off."

"Well, at least we know you're not spoilt," Draco said, trying to lighten the mood, "You'll be used to living here sooner than I was, with plenty of time before we have to go back to school."

"I'm not going back," Harry said, finally looking up at them.

"Why the hell not?" Draco exclaimed, "Don't you think that you, of all people, need to be as educated as possible?"

"Yes, but I'll do my learning on my own time," Harry stated, "I have to defeat Voldemort."

"That's why you need school," Draco insisted, "You _have_ to go back."

Harry sighed. "Voldemort's soul was torn into eight pieces, did you know that?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?" Draco asked.

"One piece is in his body, and the other seven are in items called horcruxes," Harry continued, "Three have been destroyed; his family ring, by Dumbledore, his diary, by me in second year, and a locket, by somebody with the initials R.A.B., who swapped it with a fake and destroyed the original. In order for Him to be killed, I have to, first, find and destroy the remaining four horcruxes. That's why he didn't fully die when his curse backfired sixteen years ago."

"How is it that you know so much more about everything going on with this war than the rest of us?" Draco asked.

Harry grinned. "Well-"

"Regulus Alexander Black," Severus said.

"What did you just say?" Harry asked, his eyes widening.

"R.A.B.- the man who destroyed the horcrux… Regulus Black," Severus repeated, "How do you know it was _he_ who destroyed it?"

"There was a note in the locket… hang on," Harry said, leaning over the foot of his bed and digging through his trunk until he found the small crumpled paper, "It says; '_To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.'_ It makes sense doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Severus said.

"What are you two talking about?" Draco exclaimed.

"Regulus Black was a Death Eater who was killed for turning from the Dark Lord," Severus explained succinctly, "And I'm almost sure that _he_ wrote that note."

"Thank you," Draco said, "I hate being out of the loop like that."

"Sorry," Harry said.

"The next time you apologize, I'm going to hit you," Draco stated.

"Sor- right… no apology," Harry said, smiling.

Draco grinned.

"What do you want to do with the rest of you life?" Severus asked, suddenly, "Draco has decided to become an auror- is that your wish, as well?"

"Maybe…" Harry said, "If I survive, anyway."

"Don't say such things," Severus snapped, "Of course you'll survive, if only so that you may continue to bother me." He smiled.

Harry returned it. "Fine- I _might_ be an auror… I don't know for sure yet."

"Well, how do expect to accomplish this without having finished your education?" Severus asked. When Harry said nothing, he smirked. "You will continue your schooling with Draco."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I _will_ aid you in your search as much as I can and I'm sure that Draco will offer his assistance," he continued.

"Of course! That bastard killed my mum," Draco said, "I want him _dead_."

"But how am I supposed to search, _and_ go to school, _and_ manage to keep up with my homework?" Harry asked.

"I will owl Minerva and arrange everything, but you will _not_ be a drop out," Severus said sternly.

"That's not your decision to make," Harry said defiantly.

"What do you think your mother would say if you dropped out?" Severus asked, "Lily would want you to continue on as you have… as would Albus. They wouldn't allow you to leave school and abandon your friends."

Harry lowered his gaze to the bed again, feeling suddenly guilty.

"Go back to school," Severus said softly, sitting in front of Harry, "I'll arrange it so that you and Draco can spend weekends with me, so we may train."

Harry leaned into the heady scent of vanilla, barely registering what was being said to him, and inhaled deeply. It was absolutely intoxicating, the way the man smelled! He found himself being pulled into strong arms before he knew what was happening, and he wrapped his own arms around the trim waist of the man who held him tightly against a well- muscled chest.

Harry sighed, pressing his body even closer to Severus'. He abruptly gasped and his eyes flew open wide. He was-_ cuddling_ with Severus Snape, his former professor and a man twenty years his senior… and he didn't care. Perhaps that was what had him so shocked- he didn't _care_. He closed his eyes again, resting his cheek against Severus' shoulder.

Draco shook his head, chuckling. The two of them would never last. They were too starved of affection to hold out against their natural attraction. Not for long, anyway. He cleared his throat and Severus glared at him over the top of Harry's head.

'_I guess I'm leaving my __**own**__ room…'_ he thought, shrugging and walking out.

Severus looked back down at the form in his arms. How was he supposed to resist this creature who had melted against him, fitting so perfectly, and was now practically purring in content? He sighed, laying his cheek on top of Harry's head and closing his eyes for a moment. When Harry wriggled slightly in his lap, he moaned softly.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, leaning back a little to inspect Severus' body.

"I'm fine, I promise," Severus said, "But we _do_ need to stop this."

"Why?" Harry asked, sitting back on his heels.

"Because you don't know what you're doing," Severus answered, running a hand through his hair, "You're weak and confused. Your body is only…" _'…giving into to what your heart knows is right.'_

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Harry countered, "I'm trying to cuddle with a man who smells _incredibly_ sexy…" _'Oh Merlin! Did that just come out of my mouth?'_

Severus got off of the bed and stood, breaking contact completely. "I'm going to have Remus come over and help me extend the wards on this house to the grounds, as well. This door will be locked and warded to hide your magical signature. Do not come out for any reason. I will come and get you when he is gone."

Harry only nodded, too busy contemplating his own behavior to completely comprehend what was being said. Severus left the room and pushed Draco in just before he warded it. He instructed Draco to stay with Harry until he came back and locked the door, leaving them to their own devices.

Harry looked up and around himself, as if seeing the room for the first time. He smiled when he saw that Hedwig was perched on Draco's desk, looking curiously at her new surroundings.

"So," Draco said, grinning, "How do you like your new room?"

"It's nice…" Harry said distractedly, "Do you think he'd care if I wrote to Ron and Hermione?"

"Don't know why he _would_," Draco replied, "Are you going to tell them about everything?"

"I might as well. They'll figure it out when they see me anyway," Harry said, "I think they'd rather not be surprised with something like that."

Draco laughed. "That'd be just jolly, wouldn't it? 'Hey guys, haven't seen you in a while. Oh yeah- I'm a member of an endangered race and apparently I'm gay, too!' Go over real well, wouldn't it?"

"Oh yes, they'd _love_ that," Harry replied sarcastically.

He wrote one formal letter explaining what he was and copied it magically. He would send one to Remus and one to Ron and Hermione. Then, he wrote two personal letters, attached them, and sent them with Hedwig. When this was finished he flopped backward onto his bed, sighing.

"Er… Harry, can I ask you something?" Draco said.

"Fire away, captain," Harry replied.

"Who would you _want _to be your mate?" Draco asked.

Harry sat up, his brow furrowed in thought. The only face that was coming to mind was Severus', and the more he tried to shake it away, the more vivid it became. "I guess there's one guy I know…" he said, "But I know he could never care for me like that. We've hated each other since we met. Plus, there are other- difficulties. So… what about you? Do you have your eye on anybody in particular?"

"Yeah, I do actually," Draco replied, "She's a Gryffindor."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this new development. "What's her name?"

"Ginny Weasley," Draco said, grinning at Harry's open mouthed shock, "Don't look so surprised. She's cute, she's smart, _and_ she can play Quidditch. She's perfect for me."

"Except that she hates your guts and, as far as she knows, you hate hers," Harry said, "You've got some major wooing to do."

Draco chuckled. "I know…"

Harry's stomach growled ferociously. "Man, I'm hungry. I'm going to go and get the leftover fruit salad," he said, standing and walking out of the room.

"Mm-hmm…" Draco muttered, lost in his thoughts, "Wait- what? Shit!" He stood quickly, hurrying out after Harry.

Harry rounded the corner to the dining room and looked past the back of Severus' head to see Remus sitting across from him. He froze mid-step and his eyes widened. Remus was thanking Severus for the tea when his sentence halted. He sniffed the air once and his head shot up, golden eyes with slits for pupils stared at him hungrily. Severus turned and saw Harry, shaking with fear. He stood just quickly enough to catch Remus by the wrist as he lunged at Harry over the table. He slammed the crazed werewolf against the wall, struggling to hold the impossibly strong man back.

"Get back to the room, _NOW_!" Severus exclaimed.

Harry couldn't move. His entire body had tensed and he felt completely paralyzed. And then he was aware of somebody dragging his bodily back down the hallway and turned to see Draco. He was thrown into the room and Draco shut the door on a loud howl and a scream of pain. Harry launched himself toward the door again, but Draco was blocking his escape.

"Move!" he said, "Please… he's been hurt. He needs help!"

Draco shook his head slowly, a little put off by the sudden force of Harry's feelings. "I can't let you out of here, Harry. I'm sorry."

"He _needs_ me!" Harry exclaimed, panicking, "He's hurt! What if he's dying out there? Please, Draco… let me go!"

"No. He can take care of himself, trust me," Draco said.

Harry bit his lip, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching the door unblinkingly. The utter silence seemed to drag on for hours before Draco finally moved away from the door and Severus entered the room. Harry jumped to his feet and, without knowing exactly why, ran to embrace the man. Severus' anger subsided significantly when he realized how worried Harry had been. He put his arms around the boy briefly before stepping back slightly.

Harry took in the blood-soaked bandage around Severus' hand and his black eye, and he felt the tears that had been threatening to spill forth since hearing Severus' agonized cry begin to fall soundlessly down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "It's my fault that you were hurt… if I'd just listened to you- I'm so sorry."

He placed his arms around Severus' waist again, unconsciously calling his wings to him. They both glowed white for a moment and when it receded, Severus was completely healed. Harry had stopped crying and was gazing at Severus in wonder.

"How did I do that?" he asked, stumbling away from him.

"You have _extraordinary_ healing powers, Harry," Severus said, "Most Caelestis can't do that until they're well past full maturity."

"What exactly did I do that they can't?" Harry said.

"You healed my entire body in a matter of seconds. Most have to go one injury at a time, even after their powers mature," Severus explained, smiling, "St. Mungo's would be a good place for you to go after Hogwarts. With that kind of power, after a few years of training, you could be curing Mr. Longbottom's parents."

Harry's eyes widened. "Could I really do that?"

"I'm not _entirely_ sure, but it's certainly possible," Severus said, "St. Mungo's already has one Caelestis employed there, but her powers hardly rival your own."

Draco grinned. "You always have to show people up, don't you? First, you're the youngest Quidditch player in a century and now you're the greatest Healer ever! Give other people a chance, will you?"

Harry chuckled.

"Oh yes… Remus apologizes profusely for his loss of control- as well as my bruised ribs, black eye, slashed hand, and many other injuries procured in my struggle to stop him from mauling you," Severus said, "However, we did succeed in extending the wards, so if you boys want to explore, you can."

Harry and Draco were already heading out of the house. When they stepped outside, the first thing they noticed was the large blue dome of light surrounding them. They shrugged, figuring it was to show them their boundaries. Harry took off into a sprint with Draco hot on his heels. Even with the extra weight of his wings, he was fast. Finally being able to run- _really _run, without running _from_ something- made Harry feel unbelievable, and he found himself laughing with the joy of it.

He extended his wings and flapped them once, lifting himself off of the ground and into the air. He grinned down at Draco, flying higher until he almost reached the top of the dome, when he hovered for a few moments to watch Severus emerge from the house. He waved once and then dove toward the ground, pulling up at the last moment, much like he had done his first time on a broom, just to test his own agility. After several minutes in the air, he felt he had a significant amount of control over his movements in flight and landed near Draco on the ground.

"What's it like?" Draco asked.

"Flying on a broom is nice, but that…" Harry said breathlessly, "That was pure freedom…"

"Sev was watching you like a hawk the whole time you were up there," Draco laughed, "When you did that nose dive he looked like he was going to faint, and those couple of times when you almost hit the house… it was priceless! I honestly thought he was going to be sick."

"Why?" Harry asked, confused.

Draco only laughed harder, leading the way to where Severus stood.

"Are the wards far enough out?" Severus asked.

"They're fine," Harry answered.

"Good. I want you both to get plenty of rest," he said, "We'll be starting your training next week. I've arranged for the Healer from St. Mungo's to assist us for the time being. I will train you two in the art of wandless magic until 3 o'clock in the afternoon, then an hour break, and from 4 until dinner, she will work with Harry and Draco and I will assist in any way we can."

Draco groaned. "This is worse than school."

Harry smiled.

"Alright, to bed with the both of you," Severus said as Harry dispelled his wings.

Harry and Draco walked grudgingly back into the house, where they showered in turn before crawling into bed. Harry lie awake, thinking over the days events and growing more and more confused by the moment. He sighed, turning on his side to face Draco's bed.

"Are you awake?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Draco replied in an equally hushed tone, "Is something bothering you?"

"Something is _definitely_ bothering me," Harry said, "My behavior is completely unpredictable!"

"How so?" Draco asked, smiling to himself.

"Why did I freak out earlier? And why do I keep- embracing him?" Harry said, "I always want to…touch him and- and why did I come here to begin with? Why did my magic bring me _here_, of all places?"

Draco chuckled. Harry was _already_ beginning to put the pieces together. "Those are usually signs of attraction, Harry."

"Well, I know I'm attracted to him… that much is obvious," Harry said, "But- why does it feel so over-whelming? And why do I feel the need to protect him all of the time?"

"I couldn't tell you. Maybe you could as the Healer when she gets here," Draco suggested.

"And what about _him_?" Harry continued, "You said he looked really worried about me while I was flying… and he keeps smiling and acting all- strange… ugh! What is going on?"

"Like I said, ask the Healer," Draco repeated.

"Right, I'll ask her," Harry said, closing his eyes and drawing the covers up to his chin, "She'll explain it all."

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There you go! Chapter three! I'm actually rather happy with this chapter, but tell me what you think! I love reviews, so make my day! Until next time…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own it and I never will

Disclaimer: I don't own it and I never will. I'm only borrowing the characters for my own twisted pleasures…

A/N: I absolutely LOVE all of the reviews I've been getting! Thank you to EVERYBODY who has reviewed so far and I truly hope that you continue to do so. It really makes my day!

Chapter Four

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At The Burrow

A/N: (This part wasn't in the original hand-written chapter. It's all new! Enjoy!)

"Hermione, could you get that?" Ron said gesturing toward the window and the source of the loud tapping that was disturbing his and Ginny's game of Wizard's Chess.

She sighed, walking to the window. When she saw the beautiful snowy owl, she gasped and hurried to let her in. She took the envelope from Hedwig, who immediately went to where Pig was lounging.

"Ron! It's from Harry!" she said, tearing into the letter without waiting for him, "There are two here… well, shall we read 'letter one'?"

"Read it aloud, could you?" Ron asked, turning to her, "It's easier that way and I'm sure whatever Harry says in there is suitable for Ginny, as well. His letters usually just say 'Hey. I'm doing fine. See you at school.' Boring and a half."

Ginny laughed. "He's probably busy fighting off the girls…"

"I'm sure," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow at her, "Alright, here goes…"

She read the first letter, pausing several times to allow the information to settle in. All the times Harry told them he was 'fine' and he was really suffering. Then, there was the fact that their best friend wasn't exactly human, but some strange being _and_ he was predestined to be with another guy? It was a bit much to drop on them in one letter.

"So… Harry's a- Caelestis," Ginny said slowly, "He has wings… and can fly… and he's gay…"

"Pretty much," Hermione agreed, "And his magical and physical strength has increased exponentially."

"Right," Ron said, "Jolly good, then. What's the second letter say?"

"Hopefully it'll say, 'Just kidding. Had you worried didn't I?'…" Ginny said.

Hermione pulled it open. "No such luck. It says;

'_Dear Hermione and Ron (and probably Ginny),_

_That was not a joke. It was all the truth. So, guess where I am? I'm currently occupying a quaint little house in a small muggle town. Guess who I'm living with? Well- please, please, please don't freak out- my housemates just happen to be Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. I know. It's crazy, right? I'm still alive, though. To say the least, they aren't nearly as horrid as I thought they were. Don't roll your eyes at me, Ron, I'm serious. Remember what you told me about that whole Unbreakable Vow stuff? Well, Severus took one for Narcissa Malfoy so that, in the event that Draco was unable to complete his mission- killing Dumbledore- he would have to do it. And the only reason Draco was cooperating with Voldemort was because the bastard was threatening his mum. You see, neither of them had any choice in the matter. They both went on trial and they both testified, voluntarily, under the influence of the Veritaserum and were cleared of all charges. However, they are still in hiding from Voldemort and the Ministry chose to keep it all hush-hush, so don't go blabbing. They figure it's better if nobody knows anything until I kill the megalomaniac. Also, I can't tell you exactly where I am, only that I'll see you in Diagon Alley to buy supplies. Sev and Draco convinced me to go back to school. Gave me the guilt trip, they did! Damn Slytherins… I really can't wait to see you guys. I've got so much left to tell you and I'm sure you have some questions. I'm afraid you can't write back, though, because of all the wards and stuff. Send Hedwig back after a few days of rest. She's had it pretty bad this summer, too. _

_Love,  
Harry Potter'_

"Huh…" Ron said, "That was… interesting?"

"I'm confused now," Ginny said, "At the end of last year, Harry was all gung-ho for hunting You-Know-Who down. What happened?"

"I wonder how Snape and Malfoy convinced him…" Hermione sighed, finally ceasing her pacing and sitting down.

"Yeah… and why does Harry seem so chummy with them?" Ron growled, "I mean _Draco_? _Severus_? For Merlin's sake… _SEV_?"

"They've probably bonded," Hermione explained, "You can only spend so much time in the constant company of people before those people become dear to you."

"It's still bloody strange," Ron grumbled, "But I suppose we just have to accept it, right?"

Hermione smiled. "That's very mature of you, Ron. I'm impressed."

He blushed. "Yeah, well… he's my best mate. I can't exactly abandon him just because he's attached to a couple gits."

"Harry says they're okay, so I'm going to give them a chance," Ginny said, "Besides… they seem to be treating him right."

"Exactly. That earns them a chance with me," Hermione said, looking at Ron expectantly.

"Alright! I'll give 'em a chance, too," he muttered resentfully.

One week passed amazingly fast for Harry and before he knew it, they were in the yard, practicing furiously, sparring without the use of wands. Surprisingly, the wandless training was relatively easy and by the end of the day, Harry had mastered most first, second, and third year charms, spells, and curses, as well as a few that weren't in the curriculum. The Healer would be arriving in just a few minutes when Harry and Draco were instructed to wait outside, which they did, quite happily, while Severus went inside to receive her. Harry immediately took off into flight with Draco right behind him on his broom.

There was a crack like a whip and a woman stood before Severus. Her strawberry blonde hair, deep indigo eyes, and warm smile gave away her identity at once. Severus smirked when he saw that she was still wearing her pure white Healer's robes.

"Hello, Brenna," he said.

"Severus," she replied, chuckling, "It's a pleasure to see you, as usual."

"And you, as well," Severus replied, "I need to ask you a favor."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Harry will undoubtedly ask you about his mate. When he does, I ask that you tell him nothing," Severus explained.

"But- Severus, as his Carus… why don't you want him to know?" she asked, confusion seeping out of her aura.

"We have not had a very pleasant relationship in the past," Severus said, "I want time to- court him properly, I guess."

Brenna sighed. "Alright, but denying the bond, even for a short period of time, will only hurt you- _both_ of you."

"It won't be for long," he assured her, and she nodded.

"Take me to him, then," she said.

"He's outside, flying about the yard with Draco, no doubt," he said, smiling as he led Brenna to the back where Harry and Draco were resting in the only tree on the grounds. It was a large Peach Tree, standing tall with branches jutting out in every direction and then some. It looked old, but held as much vitality as any sapling, and Harry loved it.

"Hello, there," Brenna said with her lilting Irish accent, coming to stand beneath them, "Would you like to come down?"

"I wouldn't like to, but I will," Harry said smartly as they jumped from their perch, landing on either side of her. She chuckled lightly, smiling first at Harry, then at Draco.

"You must be Mr. Malfoy, then," she said.

"Draco, please," he replied.

"Thank you. My name is Brenna Murray," she said, "And I must say that I am pleasantly surprised." She took a step back so that she could look at them both. "It appears that you've already found your Companion."

"My- er- what?" Harry asked.

"Your Companion," she repeated, "They're the person who is the most suited to be your- comrade. Your friend, I guess. Every Caelestis is born parallel to two humans; their mate, and their Companion. That's what the triangular markings represent. The topmost point would be the Caelestis, and the other two points are your earthbound counterparts. Your Companion is the brother, or sister, to your soul."

"So… I'm like- what?- his sibling?" Draco said, smirking.

"In essence, yes," Brenna said.

"Brenna," Harry said suddenly, "What can you tell me about my mate?"

She sighed, dropping her gaze. "Nothing- not yet, anyway. All in due time, Harry. You've got so much to deal with already."

He frowned. _'Why won't anybody tell me anything? You'd think it was some big secret…'_

"So," she said, brightening up again, "Just curious, but have you put a shirt on since you arrived here?"

Harry blushed, his eyes suddenly wide. "No… I haven't…"

Draco laughed. "I hadn't noticed. We just never realized- got used to it, I guess."

Severus chuckled.

"There's a spell you can use on your clothes so that they will accommodate your wings," she said, launching directly into their training.

They sat in the yard, with Harry and Draco in the tree- Harry finally wearing a shirt; a semi-tight black tee- and Severus and Brenna on a blanket beneath them. Brenna had taught Harry two charms; one for his clothes and one to hide his markings. She had also taught him how to 'bend' magic- that is, control any magic sent at him, be it a charm or curse, and either void it out or send it back, as well as some elemental magic.

Severus and Draco had been used as guinea pigs and had spent the evening throwing spells at Harry, only to have them turn on them. Brenna said that, when his training was complete, he would even be able to deflect an Unforgivable. This had Harry the most intrigued. If he could deflect Avada Kedavra, Voldemort would have no power… it would be almost too easy to defeat him when he would be disarmed like that.

At the end of the day, he could make small fires, make single flowers bloom- when he'd tried the whole bush, he'd accidentally set it afire- and call upon small amounts of water. He found that controlling the air was _much_ easier than the others, which Severus explained to be because his main element _is_ air.

So, currently he sat in the tree with Draco, making miniature twisters in his palm. Brenna looked up at him and smiled. He really was an extraordinary child, and she had no doubt in her mind that he was extremely powerful. She turned back to Severus.

"He's learning so fast," she said, "A couple more weeks of training like this and there won't be anything else I can teach him."

"He's always been an exceptionally bright pupil," Severus agreed, "Even if he doesn't always show it."

"He may just be the most powerful Caelestis since… my mother," she said, smiling sadly, "And perhaps an even greater Healer. Which is, in itself, unusual. You won't see many male Healers… least of all with Caelestis."

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. She rarely spoke of her mother, a Caelestis who had been taken by the Ancients for her incredible power. Was she implying that this could be Harry's destiny, as well…? Surely not.

Brenna chuckled. "Don't give me that look, Severus. I doubt that he would go willingly- or that those close to him would allow him to be taken."

"What do you think they're talking about?" Draco asked.

"Who cares?" Harry replied, looking up at the stars through the branches of the tree, "The stars sure are pretty…"

Draco elbowed him playfully. "You're such a posy."

"Shut up," Harry said, laughing.

Severus smiled, looking up at them fondly. This is, until he saw that Brenna was watching him, at which point he quickly masked his emotions and looked away. Brenna sighed.

"You've been doing that all day," she said, "I've never seen you drop your guard so often."

He simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"You can't hide behind that mask forever," she said, "He's bound to figure it out on his own, probably sooner, rather than later."

"I know," Severus agreed, "But I want to protect him from the truth for as long as I can."

"Sev… keeping the truth from him is _not_ going to protect him," she said, "It's putting him in unnecessary danger. He _already_ trusts you, Severus… a blind man could see that. I think the real problem is that you don't trust yourself." She stood, glaring at him before smiling at Harry and Draco. "I've got to go, boys. Same time tomorrow, okay?"

They waved at her and she was gone.

"Sev, why can she apparate through our wards?" Draco asked.

"The wards are designed to keep out any _human_ but our Secret Keepers," Severus snapped, "And they're obviously _not_ human, now are they?"

Harry looked at him, his brow furrowed. He _wasn't_ human, was he? He hadn't truly realized that, in the process of becoming this strange new being, he would subsequently be giving up his claim to humanity. He sighed, dropping from the tree and heading toward the house without a word to either of them.

Draco dropped down shortly after. "Real smooth, Sev. What the hell is your problem?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but strode after Harry, leaving Severus alone with his thoughts. He sighed, banishing the blanket with a flick of his wrist, walking slowly toward the house, supposing that he should apologize to Harry.

Draco stepped into the room he'd shared with Harry for nearly two weeks to see the dark haired boy sitting at the desk. He closed the door and stepped toward him, opening his mouth to say something. He stopped when he saw that Harry was reading something intently. He moved to stand behind him and could have smacked himself when he saw that Harry was reading the notes he'd written down from what Severus had told him about mates.

Harry turned and looked up at him, realization and confusion dawning, simultaneously, in his eyes. He stood suddenly, nearly knocking Draco over in the process. He practically ran from the room with Draco right behind him.

"Why didn't you tell me it was _him_?" Harry exclaimed.

"I'm _sorry_… I promised him I wouldn't-!" Draco stopped mid-sentence when Harry collided with Severus just as the man entered the house.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Severus asked, noticing the frustrated tears in his eyes.

"When were you planning on telling me?" Harry spat bitterly, moving away from him.

"What are you talking about?" he said, glaring at Draco, who was silently retreating.

"He read my notes! I didn't tell him anything," Draco said, making a swift exit.

"You know what I'm talking about," Harry said, "You told Draco, but not me? _I'm_ the one it affects! _I'm_ your mate!"

"Harry, calm down and listen," Severus said, trying to lead Harry into the kitchen.

He tore his arm from Severus' grip. "No, I won't calm down. You wouldn't explain when I wanted to listen, and I now I don't want to hear your excuses." He walked past him and out of the house.

Severus sighed, following him out.

Harry turned around, still walking away from him. "I don't even know _why_ I'm upset! I don't even want a mate!"

"Harry…" Severus said, but Harry's next statement cut him off.

"… least of all, _you_!"

Severus visible blanched, and Harry instantly regretted saying that. "Harry… I'm sorry…"

He stopped abruptly, gazing at Severus in shock.

"I shouldn't have hidden this from you," Severus continued, "But- I didn't want to force you into this. It's _your choice_, Harry."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I'd rather you were happy with somebody who would be better for you than miserable with me," he said.

"But… I can only be truly happy with my mate," Harry said.

"Do not feel obligated to choose me," Severus said, "You hold the power to walk away from me and I won't stop you- no matter how difficult it might be."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, but I think I'll stick with destiny- willingly, for once."

It was Severus' turn to be confused. "But- _why_?"

Harry shrugged, walking back toward him. "Who am I to deny the Universe's Master Plan?" He smirked, giving Severus a quick kiss before he lost his courage and walking back into the house, "Besides," he added when Severus followed, "I'm always willing to try new things. And… this definitely qualifies as new."

Severus smirked. "I still don't want to rush anything. That way you'll have plenty of time to back out if you need to."

"I'm _not_ going to back out," Harry said stubbornly, "Contrary to what you are probably thinking, I'm not completely adverse to being with you. Though this may have freaked me out if I had learned it a week ago, I find I rather like the idea of having you wrapped around my little finger." He sat down on the sofa and, after conjuring some tea, Severus sat next to him.

"Who say's I'll be wrapped around your finger?" Severus said.

Harry grinned, sipping his tea. "Anyway, it's not as though you're a bad guy. I _am_ still sore about your role in the last few years' events and I don't think I'll ever really get over it, but I'm willing to admit that you weren't entirely at fault. On top of that, you're powerful, intelligent, and not too hard to look at." He smiled at Severus' dumbfounded expression. "Yes, I find you attractive… and you smell delicious."

Harry had no idea where any of that came from or why it came out of his mouth or even when he began to feel this way, but he shrugged it away for the moment. He chose instead to focus on the impossibly dark gaze of the man sitting next to him. He could lose himself in those eyes, everything he was, everything he is, everything he could be… he could lose it all to those glittering black orbs, which, instead of being cold, as he'd originally thought, seemed to burn from the inside with intensity. He blushed at his own train of thought, although he didn't break the gaze.

It took everything Severus had not to ravage the boy until that sexy little smirk was replaced with a look of absolute bliss, until Harry found himself lost in oblivion. He swallowed the rest of his tea and crossed his legs to hide his growing problem. If Harry kept giving those smoldering looks, he wouldn't be able to control himself. Severus couldn't remember the last time any creature had affected him thusly, and he found it rather exhilarating.

"The two of you are settled then?" Draco said, "I figured as much when the yelling stopped."

Harry smiled as the blonde sat down on the end of the sofa, forcing Harry into the middle. He looked at Draco, then at Severus. He decided he liked being between them- feeling safe and cherished- and settled into the cushions, leaning just slightly toward Severus and inhaling his scent deeply before taking another sip of tea and sighing contentedly.

Draco and Severus exchanged a glance and Draco shrugged. "So, Harry," he said, "What does he smell like to you?"

Harry blushed. "Vanilla…"

Draco smirked. "That's- a really sexy smell…" He chuckled good-naturedly.

"I know," Harry muttered ruefully.

Severus grinned, placing an arm around Harry's waist and pulling him closer.

Draco laughed when Harry looked up at Severus in shock. "That's what I'm thinking, Harry."

"Well, you'll just have to get used to it," Severus said, "Because, despite my reputation, I'm not completely heartless. In fact…" he smirked, "I'm a man of great passion and strong emotions. I just hide them very well."

Draco nodded. "It's true. When that hippogriff attacked me, he was first at my side and he furiously demanded retribution. Come to think of it, when that Moody bloke turned me into a ferret, he was murderous then, too."

"The only time I ever lost my rigid control was when Draco was put in danger- or when you decided to take a dip into my memories," Severus said, looking at Harry, who was curled to his side with his eyes closed, his tea abandoned on the table.

"Sorry about that…" Harry murmured drowsily.

Draco looked up at Severus, who mouthed 'I'll tell you later,' motioning to the sleeping Harry. Draco nodded, smiling at how adorable they looked together. He never would have thought that to be the case before, but, looking at them now, he thought that they did, indeed, look good together.

Harry muttered something in his sleep when Severus unconsciously began toying with the soft hair at the base of his neck. Severus was gazing into the fire, lost in his thoughts. He had hoped that Harry would not find out anything until the very end of summer… but the boy was taking the news quite well. He was already beginning to adapt to the relationship- or what relationship there was- and become more intimate, when he had only know for _minutes_. It was as though he had known all along and was merely waiting for 'official' news. _'Which,' Severus thought, 'may have actually been the case. Somewhere inside himself, he had to have known that I was the one.'_

"He's a pretty expressive guy, isn't he?" Draco said, grinning.

Severus looked over at him, smiling. "Yes, he's definitely that."

"He's accepted everything so easily," Draco said, "It just amazes me that a guy who has been put through so much shit can be so kind and accepting of these things that are, once again, being thrown at him without his consent."

"Harry has always been an amazingly good person," he stated, "That's one of the reasons I always found him to be so aggravating."

Draco chuckled. "Yeah… damn those pure-of-heart, right Sev?"

Severus grinned half-heartedly. "I think I'm the only one who's damned."

"Nonsense," Harry murmured, moving closer to him, "You're a good man… a good person. I'm sorry it took me so long to see it."

"How do you know?" Severus asked softly, "How can anybody know something like that so certainly?"

"I can see into your soul," Harry said, opening his eyes and meeting Severus' obsidian gaze, "Brenna was telling me that one of our powers is to see into people's hearts- their souls- and see their guilt or innocence. Your soul has some stains, yes, but they're faded. You may have done bad things, but they were usually for good reasons. Your misdeeds are forgiven."

Severus and Draco looked at him in confusion. "Why didn't she tell _me_ about this?" Severus asked.

"She didn't want you to know that she'd seen your soul," Harry explained, "She thought you might feel- violated."

"A little… but I'm mostly relieved," Severus said, "Both that I _am_ forgiven and that you trusted me before you knew that fact."

Harry smiled. "You know… we also have the power to cleanse small stains from souls that we deem worthy."

"No," Severus said, "My wrongs are still a part of me."

"She said that's what you'd say," Harry said.

"She seems to say an awful lot, doesn't she?" Severus said, narrowing his eyes.

Draco grinned at them. "You two have only been together for less than a day and you already act like you're married. It's too cute!"

Severus grimaced. "I am not, nor will I ever be, cute."

"Sinfully handsome, maybe…" Harry said, "But if anybody is cute here, it's me."

Draco nodded. "I can agree with you there, I guess."

Harry yawned, stretching next to Severus.

"You should go to bed. The training probably took a lot out of you," Severus said.

Harry nodded, standing up. He left the room, already half-asleep and looking forward to the warm bed. He dove under the covers and fell asleep almost instantly, welcoming the serene darkness of slumber.

XXXhpXXX

I am on a roll! The next chapter will be up sometime during Holiday Break, too! Look for it! And don't forget to make my day!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I totally don't own it- but I pray every night that one day…

Disclaimer: I totally don't own it- but I pray every night that one day…

A/N: Hope you enjoy this… it gets a little steamy!

Chapter Five

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When Harry woke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was a dull ache behind his eyes. He ignored it, heading for a quick shower, careful not to wake Draco. By the time he was out of the shower and dressed, the dull ache had become a border-line painful throb. He walked into the kitchen, dropping into the chair next to Draco and letting his head fall to the table with a hollow thud.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"Headache…" Harry retorted. Within a few more seconds the throb turned into a searing, white-hot agony and spread through his entire body. He screamed in pain, tumbling from his chair and landing on the floor.

Severus was next to him n a flash and gathered him into his arms. He carried the boy to the sofa, with Draco only a few steps behind him, and held the raven-haired boy until he stopped convulsing. He sighed in relief when Harry's eyes fluttered open.

"I feel like I'm burning- from the inside out," he said, "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You haven't fed in almost two weeks- at _all_, actually," Severus said, his eyes darting briefly to where Draco stood, "Your body is beginning to remember all of the pain it has felt through the years."

"Fed?" Harry said, and then looked at Draco, who had paled considerably, "No…"

"You have to, Harry. You've known about this for nearly two weeks," Severus said, "If you don't feed, you could die."

"But…" Harry tried to think of some way to get out of it, but could find none. He looked at Draco again, his eyes shining with sympathy.

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat, walking steadily over to Harry and kneeling in front of him. "If you must… just don't drain me." He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, waiting.

Harry glanced at Severus, who nodded his encouragement and he felt his instincts lock into place as his canines elongated further. He leaned forward, pressing his mouth to Draco's neck directly over his pulse, tracing it with his tongue once before sinking his teeth in. He felt Draco shudder, heard the small sound he made in his throat, and both exhilarated him. He sucked and lapped at the warm, thick elixir that flowed from his Brother, feeling his pain and weariness recede as his strength returned. As soon as he felt Draco's body begin to go limp, he licked the small wound so that it healed and pulled away.

He sighed contentedly, sitting back on the sofa and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw that Draco had left the room and Severus was staring at him intently. He shifted uncomfortably at the intensity he saw in those obsidian orbs, feeling his face grow warm.

"Where'd Draco go?" Harry asked.

"I instructed him to get some rest," Severus replied, his gaze never losing its heat.

"Wh- why are you looking at me like that?" Harry said, refusing to look at him.

"You know why, Harry," Severus said.

Harry looked up at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. He couldn't possibly expect him to…

"If you ever want to leave this house, it has to be done," Severus said, "In order for you to be able to conceal a magical signature as powerful as yours, you would need months of training."

"I figured as much… but I want to wait- a little bit longer," Harry said, moving closer to Severus and placing his hand on the man's arm, "I know this must be frustrating for you, but-"

He was cut off when Severus' lips captured his in a deep, open-mouthed kiss that left him dizzy. Severus wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling him impossibly close.

"I'm not a patient man, Harry," he purred, "And I know you want this just as much as I do."

Heaven help him… he _did_ want it. He wanted it so much, it hurt. But was he ready to take it?

And then Severus' mouth covered his again, and everything but want and need was pushed from his mind. He gave in to his instincts, kissing back with as much passion as he possessed. Somewhere in his mind, he was aware of being moved to a different room and onto a bed, but before he could really process the information Severus began stripping his clothes off.

Harry's breath caught in his throat at the sight of the beautifully sculpted body in front of him. It was hard to believe that the Potions Master had been able to hide his powerful form beneath simple robes… broad shoulders, hard chest, slender hips, and well-muscled arms and legs… the man was a God!

By the time Severus crawled onto the bed, Harry's breath was coming in shallow pants. He fastened his mouth on the raven-haired wizard's again, already working on removing his clothing. When the shirt was off, he ran his fingertips down his chest, admiring the muscles that Quidditch training had built, before making quick work of Harry's pants and boxer-shorts.

As soon as they were both naked he pressed their bodies together, trailing his lips down Harry's neck, where he sucked lightly, making him moan. His hands traveled the length on the lean body beneath him, memorizing every inch of it, every last spot that, when he brushed his fingers or tongue just so or applied the slightest bit of pressure, made Harry gasp in pleasure. Once or twice, his hands came dangerously close to Harry's erection and he would arch unconsciously, trying to get closer to the touch.

Severus knew he was driving Harry mad with his soft touches and brief caresses, and reveled in it. He loved the fact that, with a single kiss, he could leave him panting, his eyes glazed with lust. However, his control was nearing the breaking point and he wanted to be as gentle as he could the first time.

He performed a simple lubricating spell before pushing his middle finger into Harry's virgin hole.

Harry's eyes snapped into focus when he felt something enter him. He looked up at Severus, who kissed him lightly.

"I don't want to hurt you," he explained simply and Harry laid his head back and closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable.

Severus continued to stretch him, using two fingers and then three until he was sure that he wouldn't tear the boy. All the while, his free hand and his lips made sure that Harry was kept in a pleasure-induced haze. A few times, he angled his fingers just right, and brushed them lightly against the spot inside of Harry that made him shudder with the dazzling pleasure… a promise of things to come.

He lifted Harry's legs slightly, instructing him to wrap them around his waist, and entered him swiftly. Harry stilled, biting his lip to keep from crying out. He remained motionless until he was accustomed to the strange feeling of having Severus _inside_ of him, at which point he shifted and Severus took this as his signal to move. He thrust slowly, in and out, and when Harry began to move against him, he let out a low moan. He quickened his pace, angling his thrusts so that went even deeper.

When he stroked that certain spot inside Harry, the boy arched his back, crying out savagely, begging for more. "Please! Oh… for god's sake… Sev'rus, _please_!"

Severus was more than happy to oblige, thrusting wildly, making sure to hit that same spot every time. When he felt his own release approaching, he wrapped a hand around Harry's throbbing member. He squeezed gently and Harry screamed his name, spraying his seed into Severus' hand and onto both of their chests and stomachs. Severus followed, releasing into Harry with a guttural groan and all but collapsing on him.

When their breathing evened out, Severus rolled off of him and sat on the edge of the bed. He sighed, looking over his shoulder at Harry, who still hadn't opened his eyes. He was stupid… he shouldn't have pushed this on the boy. What the hell happened to 'not rushing things'? He looked away from him, letting himself drown in his guilt.

Harry finally opened his eyes, giving them time to adjust to the light, and looked around. He was in Severus' room and on Severus' bed; that much he could see. He looked at Severus and saw that he hung his head, obviously in shame for having succumbed to his desires. He gave into the need to comfort the man and sat up, moving to kneel behind him. He placed his arms around Severus' shoulders, kissing the back of his neck gently.

"You're only human," he said, "And don't think that you forced me. If I hadn't wanted to, you would have known."

Severus nodded, smiling.

Harry showed him his left palm and the small black cross that graced it. "No use trying to hide it from Draco or Brenna, eh?"

Severus laughed. "Shower… we both need a shower."

Harry followed him into the bathroom, grinning.

Nearly an hour later, they finally emerged, clean and sated all at once. They dressed and Harry walked into the kitchen, grabbing a green apple and sitting down at the table. Severus sat next to him a moment later, setting down two glasses of orange juice. Harry grabbed one, gulping down the contents quickly.

"Thirsty?" Severus said, smirking.

Harry nodded. "Very…"

"Brenna will be here soon," Severus said, "You should wake Draco."

"Why me?" Harry whined.

"You two will, no doubt, have things to discuss," Severus replied, "I'll work on something for a late lunch."

Harry sighed, pushing back from the table and heading to his room. He walked in and saw that Draco was sitting up in bed. When he saw Harry, he smirked.

"You two need to learn the usefulness of a silencing charm," Draco said.

Harry blushed. "Um… Brenna will be here soon. Severus sent me- to get you…"

Draco laughed. "So," he said, standing unsteadily, "How was it?"

Harry moved to his side, helping him walk to the kitchen. "Sorry. It's my fault you're like this," he said, ignoring Draco's question.

"Nah, it had to be done," Draco said reassuringly, "Although, you _could_ have let me sleep."

Severus walked up to them. "He _heard_?"

"'Fraid so," Draco said.

Harry grinned. "We'll have to silence the room next time."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Next time? This is going to become a habit, isn't it?"

"Of course," Severus said, "Mates have a strong need for sexual reassurance."

Harry blushed. "I'm embarrassed enough as it is…"

"So, how long until the food is done?" Draco asked.

"Not long," Severus replied.

"Good," Harry said, "I'm starving!"

"What're you making?" Draco asked, sniffing the air.

"Vegetables and rice," Severus said, "With sliced oranges."

Harry smiled when Draco groaned in mock disgust.

"You know," Draco said, "This is all your fault. Ever since you showed up he's been all- health conscious. We used to just eat pizza and French fries and ice cream…"

"God forbid you have to put anything in your body that might be good for it!" Harry exclaimed in mock horror.

Severus chuckled. "At least I'm not forcing tofu down your throat. The protein supplement potions will do just fine for us until Brenna can teach Harry how to filter out certain scents."

Harry snickered.

Just as Severus was setting out the plates, a loud crash erupted from the living room. They looked over to see Brenna emerge from a pile of books, looking incredibly flustered.

"Must you keep your books stacked around every room of you house?" she ranted, "It's an absolute hazard to- what's that smell?" She narrowed her eyes at them.

"It's just vegetables and rice…" Draco said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, I know that," Brenna said, stepping over to them, "Something has changed… ah! I see." She gazed at Harry knowingly and he blushed.

"Yeah…" he said, shrugging and holding his palm out to her.

She grabbed it, scrutinizing it for longer than Harry was necessarily comfortable with, but he let it slide. When he dropped his wrist, she was beaming.

"That's an impressive mark. It's incredibly dark and penetrates almost to the soul," she said, "Nice…"

"Is there some sort of significance in that?" Harry asked.

"It just means that you two were very well matched," she said, "Nothing particularly exciting."

Harry sighed. "Good. Would you care to join us for lunch before we start? I'm sure Sev made enough to feed a small army."

"Or two teenage boys…" Severus grumbled good-naturedly as he set the steaming dishes out on the table.

"I would love to," she said, sitting opposite from Severus, "He's an excellent chef, isn't he?"

Harry and Draco nodded enthusiastically, making her laugh. _'They make such a pleasant Family. I just hope they don't let anything tear them apart…'_

XXXhpXXX

Okay! This chapter is a smidge shorter than my others, but I hope it's still good. Don't forget to review! Until next time…


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the friggin' thing, alright

Disclaimer: I don't own the friggin' thing, alright? Sheesh!

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry about the delay in chapters. I had finals… 'nuff said. I hope this chapter is up to par and I hope the length is satisfactory.

Chapter Six

XXXhpssXXX

When Brenna left that night, Harry turned to Severus. "Can we visit Grimmauld Place?"

Severus grinned at him. "If you think you're ready to face all of the questions…"

"I'm ready," Harry said, smiling brightly.

"Draco, would you like to accompany us?" Severus asked.

Draco smirked. "Of course… this will be a good chance to get some free entertainment."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Let's just go…" He grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the fire. "Number twelve Grimmauld Place."

He fell out of the hearth onto the floor of the house that he now owned and glanced up just as Severus and Draco stepped into the room gracefully. Cursing their poise, he stood, brushing himself off self-consciously. He looked around to see Remus, Tonks, Hermione, and Ron staring at him in a mixture of shock and curiosity.

"Hey, you guys. Surprised to see me?" he said, chuckling nervously.

Ron suddenly burst into laughter. "Why is it that you still can't floo properly?"

He blushed lightly. "Shut up…"

"Harry," Hermione said, gravely, "Maybe you should sit down. We definitely need to talk."

He sighed, sitting on the sofa next to her. Severus immediately occupied the remaining cushion and Draco sat on the arm. "What do you want to know? I thought I covered everything in my letter."

"You pretty much did," Hermione said, "But… your letter said that Professor Snape told you that you wouldn't be able to leave the house until you found your mate or learned to hide your magical signature."

"Yes and?" Harry urged, though he knew what she was leading to.

"_And_ I can definitely sense your magical signature," Hermione said, "So, you had to have found your mate, seeing as Remus isn't going crazy. However, that's not possible unless your mate happens to be one of the two people you've had contact with since the gene's activation…"

Harry coughed uncomfortably. He had hoped that they wouldn't put it together yet… he didn't want to have to tell them. _'But nothing can be easy for The Boy-Who-Lived…'_ he thought bitterly. He sighed and ran a hand through his already tousled hair, making Severus smirk.

"Well… see, the thing is…" Harry stuttered, looking at Severus for help.

"Harry," Remus said, "It's Severus, isn't it?"

Harry had the decency to blush and looked away from the shocked expressions on his friends' faces. He knew that they wouldn't like it… he hadn't even wanted to tell them. But they just _had_ to pry, didn't they? He hazarded a glance over at Hermione and saw that she was grinning like a madwoman, and then looked at Ron, who trying to hide his laughter. Draco, too, was snickering quietly. He looked next to him at Severus and noticed a faint tinge of pink in his cheeks. He smiled.

"It's not funny!" Hermione chided, "It's a very serious situation!"

Ron and Draco burst into simultaneous giggle-fits, doubling over with the force of it. "But, Hermione…" Ron said, "He's- _blushing!_"

Draco controlled himself first, and sighed. "It's really not that funny… they're loud as hell!"

Ron choked on his laughter. "What?" he exclaimed, "Oh… bloody hell! They actually… I did _not_ need that visual!"

Harry chuckled. "Then think about something that _you_ like…"

Ron grinned stupidly. "Like Hermione in that lacy white thing that Ginny got for her…"

Hermione smacked him- hard. "Ronald! That's just about enough of that!"

"So… you're not completely disgusted?" Harry asked.

"Why would we be, Harry?" Tonks asked, "It's perfectly normal in the wizarding world, especially for other races."

Harry sighed in relief. "Thank Merlin. You have no idea how afraid I was to tell you."

"Well, now you can sleep again," Ron said.

"I doubt it…" Draco muttered ruefully.

Harry blushed again. "Let's stop talking now, okay?"

"Harry," Remus said, "About my last visit…"

"Remus, it was entirely my fault. It's forgotten," Harry interrupted.

Remus smiled at him.

"So… can we see them?" Hermione asked.

"See what?" Harry replied.

"Your wings! Can we see them?" she repeated, her eyes wide with hope.

He grinned, standing up and calling his wings to him. They stared in awe at the breathtaking sight before them. Harry had always been an attractive young man, but with the ethereal blue markings and wings… he truly looked like an angel. Tonks sighed in appreciation.

"That is one good-looking boy…" she said, "If only you were a few years older, Harry…"

"He would _still_ be completely off-limits," Severus growled, his onyx eyes boring into hers, "I do not share what is rightfully mine."

She blinked in surprise.

Harry chuckled. "Possessive, isn't he? It's a wonder I'm allowed to share a room with Draco."

Tonks laughed. "I think it's sweet."

"What are you going to do when Harry goes back to school?" Hermione asked Severus.

"What are you talking about?" Severus said, his eyes narrowing.

Harry's eyes widened in realization and he suddenly grinned.

Hermione smirked. "You mean you don't know? Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan are- well… flamboyantly gay- to put it in layman's terms."

"This matters to me, why?" Severus said.

"Dean and Seamus are both in Harry's dorm," she said, laughter shining in her chocolate brown eyes.

He growled, wrapping an arm around Harry's waist and pulling him to his side. "Absolutely not. I forbid it."

Harry chuckled. "There's nothing you can do, Sev. I've been living with them for years. Any comments or suggestions they've made have all been for fun. They're so involved with each other that it's a wonder they ever even noticed me."

"No, it's not," Draco said, "Pardon the expression, but you're hotter than hell."

"I'm afraid he's right, Harry," Hermione said, "Though, I always thought that Draco was straight."

"Oh, I am," Draco said, "But being straight doesn't mean that I can't appreciate true beauty when I see it. Girls call each other cute all of the time… the fact that most guys aren't secure enough in their masculinity to attest to other guys' looks, doesn't make that true of _all_ of us."

Hermione laughed. "I'm terribly sorry if I offended you, Draco."

"No, you're not," Ron said.

"You're probably right," she agreed, smiling.

"So… you're seriously okay with all of this?" Harry asked, looking at them skeptically.

"_Yes_!" Ron exclaimed, "For Merlin's sake, Harry, it's not like you can help it."

"And even if you _could_, it's your choice, so we'll just have to live with it," Hermione added.

He smiled, finally satisfied. "Thanks you guys. You have no idea how much this means to me…"

"I'm sure you'll find some way to repay us," Ron said, grinning.

"Yes, like saving you all from a raging psycho with a lust for power," Remus said nonchalantly.

Harry laughed. "It'll be easy with all of these new powers."

"Don't overestimate yourself, Harry," Hermione warned, "You can't afford to be caught off guard because you think you have the upper hand."

He sighed. "I know, Hermione… I promise I'll be careful when it comes down to that, okay?"

"Can we find a happier topic of conversation now?" Draco said.

"Watch what I can do!" Harry said, smiling as he held out his hand and created little twisters in his palm.

Hermione gasped. "What spell is that?"

"It's not a spell… I'm an elemental," Harry explained, "I can call and control all four elements, but my main element is air. Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Ron said, grinning, "Don't tell anybody at school about that, okay?"

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Can you imagine the trouble we can cause?" Ron said, his eyes alight with mischief, "The skirts will fly…"

Hermione smacked him in the face with a pillow. "Ronald Weasley!"

"Sorry, 'Mione, but I _am_ a guy," he said, "I love you and all, but… you know how teenage boys are. We're hormonally challenged."

Hermione laughed. "That's for sure."

"I hope you aren't planning on causing too much trouble…" Severus said, narrowing his eyes.

"If they're anything like James and Sirius- which I believe they are," Remus said, "Then they are planning quite a bit of trouble."

"Nothing dangerous… just a few harmless pranks," Harry said, smiling innocently.

"Yes, and besides, I'll watch over them and make sure it doesn't go too far," Draco said.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "That's reassuring," she said sarcastically.

"So, will you be staying for the night?" Remus asked.

Harry looked at Severus, hope shining in his deep green eyes, and the man sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed triumphantly, immediately finding himself pulled up the stairs by Hermione and Ron with Draco trailing behind them.

"Severus…" Remus said when they heard the door close.

"I already know what you're thinking," he said, "I did _not_ force this onto Harry. In fact, I gave him several chances to get out of it. He could have denied the connection and still been perfectly content in another relationship. However, he would hear nothing of it and insisted that maybe- what was it he said- destiny had gotten something right, for once."

Remus grinned. "Sounds like Harry, alright. But… are you sure this is what _you_ want?"

He was surprised that Remus cared so much about his feelings, but quickly hid it behind his mask. "I'm sure. I don't really know what I feel for him yet, but I know that I care for him and I only want to ensure his happiness."

"That sounds like love to me," Tonks said.

Severus raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I highly doubt that my feelings are quite that advanced, but I hope that someday they are. And that Harry can come to love an old man, like me."

"Yes, because aren't mutual feelings of love required in order to complete the bonding and procreate?" Remus asked.

"Listen to you!" Tonks laughed, "Procreate? Bah! What, are you ninety? Make babies… create life… put a bun in the oven… anything but those damned text-book terms!"

Severus chuckled. "To answer your question, yes, they are."

"I thought so…" Remus said, "Well, considering what you've just told me and what Harry told me in his letter, I guess I have to accept this. I wish you both as much happiness as you deserve." He offered his hand, which Severus took, grateful for the support of Harry's friends and mentor.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Tonks said, smiling brightly, "You two have finally put aside your differences… Harry will be so happy!"

Remus sighed. "Has anybody ever told you that you are incredibly exhausting?"

"Oh, all the time!" she said cheerfully, skipping up the stairs.

Remus sighed again. "Would you like some tea, Severus?"

"Actually, I'd prefer something a little stronger, if you have it," he said, grinning.

"We have whiskey, brandy, and vodka," Remus replied.

"Whiskey, definitely…"

XXXhpXXX

So, chapter six is finally here. And it only took me forever! I hope it's satisfactory! Luv much to all reviewers! Keep it up. Until next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own it

Disclaimer: I don't own it. JKR does…

A/N: I love writing this story and I LOVE reading the reviews! Thank you so much to all of my readers and a special thanks to all of you who left such WONDERFUL feedback! You all put such a smile on my face! And now, on with the story!

Chapter Seven

XXXSNARRYXXX

"So, mate, are you really coming back to school?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded.

"That's great!" Hermione said, "I'm glad you changed your mind."

Harry grinned, thinking about how it had actually been Severus and Draco who changed his mind. However, if his friends wanted to think that he had come to the mature decision on his own… who was he to deny them?

"Yeah, well… in the off chance that I survive this ordeal, I won't have much of a future if I never finish school," he said, grinning, "Plus, I don't think they offer apprenticeships to drop-outs."

"What? Harry! Who are you going to apprentice with?" Hermione exclaimed excitedly.

"Madame Pomfrey, hopefully. Apparently, my kind already have amazing healing powers, but I'd still like to learn the spells and potions, as well as the psychological aspects," he explained.

"You seem to have really thought this through. I'm impressed," she replied.

"Yeah, mate. I think it's brilliant, you wanting to be a Healer," Ron said, "But I always thought that you wanted to be an auror or a professional Quidditch player."

"I've the last six years of my life fighting, and I'm not even done, yet," Harry said, "When Voldemort dies- and he _will_ die- I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting, too. I want t do something that doesn't require apprehending that psychopath's followers, but still makes a difference. Like help to heal the victims of the Cruciatus Curse."

"You can do that?" Hermione asked, awe-struck.

"With my powers, yes," Harry replied.

"He's got the strongest healing powers of any Caelestis in over three centuries," Draco said, grinning.

"He always has to be special. Even among an incredibly rare race!" Ron said, laughing.

Harry blushed. "Sod off, Ron…"

Hermione grinned. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Harry. You've always been an exceptionally powerful wizard."

"You're not helping…" he groaned.

"He's got some issues, doesn't he?" Draco said, smirking.

"Yeah, he's always hated that he was special, y'know? Absolutely loathes all the attention he gets…" Ron said, smiling sympathetically.

"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here…" Harry said, looking up at them, "I like to participate in dialogue, too."

"Oh, of course! Pardon us, Oh Great One," Draco said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Harry flung a pillow at the blonde, nailing him in the face.

"Oh… Now it's war!" Draco said, grabbing the pillow and attacking him.

Ron and Hermione shrugged before joining in the playful brawl.

x

Severus raised an eyebrow when the heard a high pitched shriek. "That sounded like Harry."

"Yes, well… I expect there's some kind of potentially fatal brawl going on up there," Tonks said nonchalantly, "Best let them have it out."

Severus smirked at her.

Remus laughed. "More like a tickle fight or some other childish thing… They may be of age, but, well- they _are_ teenagers."

"Please don't remind me," Severus said.

Tonks grinned at him. "Feeling a bit like a cradle robber, are you? Don't think anything of it, Severus. Harry's the kind of guy who knows what he wants. Only problem is he rarely ever gets it. He's gotten one of them in you, so just relax."

"How can you know that?" he asked.

"I know, trust me," she replied, "I can see it in the way he looks at you."

Remus smiled. "It's brutally obvious to everybody, it seems, but you."

"Yes, well, I fear I'm a less than experienced when it comes to- those kinds of things…" Severus said.

Tonks laughed. "I'm afraid we're making him uncomfortable, Remy. Perhaps we should discuss the weather?"

"What's to discuss?" Remus said, wrinkling his nose in distaste, "It's been dreadful around here. Nothing but rain, day in and day out for the last four days."

"Oh, don't complain so much!" she said, "I happen to love the rain."

"Well, it's been nothing but sun since Harry arrived," Severus grumbled, "I'd welcome some rain…"

"Take some of ours! By all means!" Remus said.

Severus grinned.

"So…" Tonks said, searching for something to talk about, "Is- the sex good?"

"Dora!" Remus exclaimed indignantly, "That is not something I want to know about a boy who is like a son to me!"

Severus raised an eyebrow at them. "Dora?"

"Well, I can't go around calling my lover by her last name, can I?" Remus said, with a smirk, "And she absolutely refuses to acknowledge her full name… so I came up with a nickname of sorts."

"I like it quite a bit more that Nymphadora… sounds far too similar to nymphomaniac, if you ask me," Tonks said, grinning.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes at the couple. _'Merlin, help me if I ever have to hear the word 'lover' come out of Lupin's mouth again… I may just gouge my eyes out at the unpleasant images it brings forth…'_

x

Upstairs, the war was finally won, and Ronald Weasley stood as the victor. He grinned at the three of them, collapsed on the floor and breathing heavily.

"You guys are weak! Didn't even last a full twenty minutes… pathetic…"

"Oh, do shut up, Ron!" Harry laughed, "I guarantee we won't last a full _two_ minutes of your gloating."

"You're just mad because I'm in better shape than you," Ron said, "Maybe if you spent less of your time in bed, and more of it exercising you could keep up with me."

Draco burst into laughter while Hermione tried her best to look offended and hide her smile.

Harry gaped at his friend. "I can't believe you just said that…"

Ron smirked. "Well, believe it." He sat down on the bed and sighed. "I still can't believe you're shagging the most hated professor at Hogwarts… it's so weird!"

"What's it like?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh, come off it, Ron!" she said, grinning, "It's bloody hot! So, Harry? What's it like? Is he any good?"

Ron groaned.

"Absolutely amazing!" Harry said, smirking when both Ron and Draco's hands flew up to cover their ears, "He's got the most talented hands… and his mouth- oh Gods! I know it always looks so thin, but- when he's not teaching us 'dunderheads' it's… perfect. It's brilliant, his mouth."

"Did it hurt? Because I know the first time with Ron… well, it _hurt_," she said.

Harry nodded. "Of course it hurt. Like I was being split in half… I swear, 'Mione, he's _huge_! But it only hurt like that for a bit and then… it felt _good_, you know? _Really _good."

Draco growled. "Are you done? _Please_?!"

Harry laughed. "I guess we can stop, now."

He and Ron sighed in relief. "Harry, that was cruel…" Ron said.

"I know!" he said happily.

"Anyway, do you think that maybe we should go back down there?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, it might not be a good idea to leave Snape alone with Remus and Tonks," Ron agreed, "They might be scarring him for life."

Harry nodded. "Let's go down, then, shall we?"

Draco and Ron had to bite their tongues to avoid saying some smart-ass comment about the implications in that statement. Hermione glared at them, noticing their snickering. _'Boys!'_ she thought, shaking her head.

They came down the stairs to find that, not only had they not killed each other, they seemed to be involved in a rather entertaining conversation.

"Looks like we were worried for nothing, guys," Harry said, taking a seat right in Severus' lap.

"Can I help you?" Severus said, raising an eyebrow at the boy who had so gracelessly deposited himself on his legs.

"Nope. I'm fine," Harry said, grinning.

"Cheeky brat…" Severus growled affectionately.

Harry took the glass of whiskey from him and took a long drink. He made a face and shoved it back into Severus' hand. "Merlin's balls, that shit burns!"

"You shouldn't drink things if you don't know what they are," Hermione said, smirking at him.

He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Real mature, mate," Ron said sarcastically.

"Oh, like you have any room to talk about maturity, Lord of the Pillows!" Draco said.

Remus laughed. "Well, you bunch certainly liven up a room."

"When is Mum supposed to be back?" Ron asked.

"Your Mum is here?" Harry asked, "Who else?"

"Well, Molly and Arthur come over in the afternoon and stay until late in the evening, Fred and George- bless their little prankster souls- are staying here, but have gone out for a bit, and Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Minerva, Bill, and Fleur usually come over for dinner and stay a bit," Tonks supplied, grinning, "Gonna be a full house."

Harry groaned. "Lovely…"

"Would you prefer to leave?" Severus asked.

"No!" he exclaimed, "I _want_ to see them, I just don't want to have to do much explaining…"

"They've been worried about you, kid. Nobody knew where you were, nobody could get a hold of you, and the only correspondence you gave them were a couple of quick letters that said you had suddenly become some kind of rare magical being," Tonks said, smiling, "Don't you think you should tell them about the man you're going to spend possibly the rest of your life with?"

Harry sighed. "Yeah… I suppose they have a right to know. You're good at that guilt trip thing, you know that?"

"Then she'll make a brilliant mother," Ron muttered resentfully, "Mum can get you to talk about anything with that trick. It's bloody foul-play, if you ask me."

"Only because it works on you every time!" Fred laughed, stepping into the room.

"When did you get here?" Hermione asked.

"About the same time I did," George replied, grinning.

She rolled her eyes at them.

"Hullo, Harry!" Fred exclaimed, bounding over to him, "Care to explain what you're doing sitting in our dear Potions Master's lap?"

Harry blushed, searching for the words to say. "Er… well, he's my mate?"

"WHAT?!"

They turned to the doorway to see Arthur and an irate Molly Weasley. Harry groaned, cursing their bad timing.

"Severus is… my mate," he repeated, "Erm- I don't suppose you read those letters I sent?"

"Of course we did. We already knew about Severus and Draco's situation, though," Arthur said, "Molly here is their Secret Keeper."

He sighed. "Good… that saves me a huge explanation. Anyway… are you- okay, Mrs. Weasley?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, dear, but this is a bit much. I'm just going to get started on dinner. Cooking helps me think. Something vegetarian for you, right?"

"Yes, please," he replied, smiling at her.

"Good thing Brenna taught you how to filter scents, eh?" Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Yeah… real good."

"Well, this is certainly an unlikely course of events," Shacklebolt said, coming into the room, "I'm sorry, Harry, but we couldn't help but overhear…"

"It's no problem. Saved me the trouble of repeating myself," Harry said, grinning.

"Well, I say it's some kind of enchantment," Moody said gruffly, pulling out his wand.

Hermione stopped him. "It's not. I'd thought about that, too, and I checked him the moment he arrived. It's a clean bond."

Moody smirked. "You're going to make a fine auror one day, girl."

She blushed. "Thank you…"

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, scandalized, "I can't believe you…"

"Well, put yourself in my position," she said, "If I walked in here suddenly claiming that Severus was _my_ mate, wouldn't you be suspicious of foul play?"

"I suppose so…" he grumbled, then smiled at her, "Thanks. You really will make a fantastic auror."

"Anyway!" Tonks said, clearing her throat loudly, "Why don't we all go and get ready for dinner, eh?"

"But she only just started-" Ron said, but Hermione cut him off with a glare. She nodded toward Harry, who looked thoroughly disconcerted by all of the attention and he caught their drift. "Right. Off we go to our rooms!"

Harry smiled thankfully at Tonks as she herded everybody out of the room, leaving him and Severus alone.

"Are you going to be okay?" Severus asked quietly, setting the drink down and enfolding Harry in his arms.

"I'll be fine… it's just- I was so afraid that everybody would resent you or hate me or… something," he said, sighing, "That I completely exhausted myself from worrying. And then, Mrs. Weasley…"

"She'll come around. You know her. She just needs some time to wrap her mind around the idea," Severus said, trying to give what little comfort he could.

Harry turned in the embrace to place a soft kiss on Severus' lips. "Thank you."

Severus smiled in response, capturing Harry's lips in a more passionate kiss. Harry moved so that he was straddling the man's lap and moaned into the kiss when their groins connected. He was quickly becoming hard, and he could feel Severus' arousal beneath him. He rocked against him lightly as their tongues met and began a fierce battle.

Surprisingly, it was Harry who broke away from the kiss. He moved his lips to his mate's neck, sucking and biting lightly, fully intent upon leaving his own mark, however temporary. Severus groaned and his fingers dug into Harry's hips, stilling their continuous movement. Harry pulled back and looked at the man, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Not here…" he growled, his voice husky.

Harry smirked. "Then… shall we find a bedroom?"

"Brat…" Severus replied, nevertheless allowing himself to be led up the stairs. Neither were aware of the pair of eyes that had been watching the exchange with interest.

Molly Weasley stepped back into the kitchen and sighed, sitting heavily in a chair.

"Something wrong, dear?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, everything seems wrong, Arthur," she replied, "I just don't know what to think anymore. I _know_, in my heart, that Severus is a good man, but a part of me will always see him as Albus' killer. And now we find that Harry is of a rare magical race and is bound to him…"

"I don't think that _Harry_ is unhappy with his situation," Arthur said, "In fact, he seems happier now than he's been in- quite a while. And, if it _is_ Severus who makes him happy, shouldn't we support _him_, at least?"

She smiled at her husband. "I know. I _am_ happy that he's happy, and I will support him in everything he chooses to do, just as I do for _all_ of my children, but…"

"There should be no 'but's, Molly. You were watching them, I know you were," Arthur said, taking a stern tone with his wife for the first time since she had tried to name their first son _Gilderoy_, "What did you see?"

She smiled. "They were so passionate. When they looked at each other, I could see that they were very much in love… and I've never seen Severus act like he did with Harry. He was so sweet and- affectionate." She sighed again. "I'm being stupid, aren't I?"

Arthur placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes," he said, leaning down and kissing her sweetly, "But I love you. And you're just overprotective of Harry. I understand… you're always trying to do what's best for him. It's just… time for him to start making his own decisions. Him _and_ Ron."

"I suppose you're right. But he's been through so much, Arthur. I don't want to see his already fragile heart broken beyond repair," she said.

"Neither do I," Arthur agreed, "So, we'll just have to watch them from the sidelines and help where we can and hope to high heaven that Severus will be capable of protecting him…"

X

End of this chapter. It's a wee bit shorter than the last, but I think it's pretty good for everything that I wanted to convey in it. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'll see you next time!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse… I just play in it from time to time…

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Potterverse… I just play in it from time to time…**

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update. Winter Break has been a rather… eventful time. I spent the whole time w/my mom and she doesn't have internet out in the middle of Nowheresville, then on Christmas eve I dislocated my left knee-cap and hyper extended my leg, and then I had the flu… But I'm all better now and ready to start writing again! YAY! So, here you go…

Chapter Eight

XXX

Severus barely made it to the bedroom. As soon as the door was closed he pushed Harry against it roughly, claiming his lips in an intense kiss. Harry moaned against the man's mouth, sending jolts of pleasure through Severus' body. He moved his mouth to his young mate's neck, kissing and licking before biting, making Harry gasp and arch into his body.

"Severus…" Harry said, somewhere between a moan and a gasp, "There _is_ a bed, you know…"

The man chuckled. "I know," he said, pulling away to lock his eyes with Harry's, "But I think I'd rather do it… _here_…"

He attacked Harry once again, stripping him of his clothes faster than should have been possible. Harry groaned and pushed himself onto his toes to crush his lips against Severus', at the same time, working on removing the man's clothing, as well.

As soon as they were both completely naked, Severus pushed Harry's body back into the door with his own, and they gasped at the first contact. Immediately, Severus' hands and mouth were everywhere, worshipping his lover's body, driving him to madness with pleasure.

Finally, Harry had had enough. He growled, the sound entirely feral, and pulled Severus up with a strength that he hadn't known he possessed. "Enough…" he hissed, his eyes darkened with desire, "Fuck me, already..."

Severus came undone at those words. He moaned, kissing him again. He placed two fingers at Harry's mouth and, knowing what he wanted, the boy sucked them into his mouth. Severus moaned again when he felt Harry run his tongue up and around each digit, already wondering how that mouth would feel- other places. However, that was for another time.

He pulled his hand away from Harry's mouth and moved his fingers lower, to find his entrance. He pushed the first in with no resistance and Harry gasped at the feeling. Soon, the second was added and Severus began moving them, stretching him. Several times, he hit the boy's prostate, making him cry out and beg incoherently.

He removed the fingers and ordered Harry wrap his legs around his waist. Harry complied and Severus thrust into him. He groaned and bit his lip at the sensation of being entered with no lubrication. It burned… but not altogether unpleasantly.

Severus began to move and Harry groaned again. _Too slow…_ "Faster! Please- ah! Severus!"

The man set an almost brutal pace, pounding forcefully into Harry, angling his thrusts so that he brushed his prostate every time. Harry linked his ankles around Severus and gripped his shoulders so hard that he was sure he would draw blood, moaning and gasping and panting… Their gazes locked and he didn't look away or close his eyes until he finally came, throwing his back and crying Severus' name savagely. The man was not far behind and came inside of Harry with a shout.

If Severus had not been holding him up, Harry was sure he would have collapsed onto the floor. As it was, the man merely braced himself on the door, while Harry rested his head on his shoulder. _Yep… I knew I drew blood…_ he thought, grinning as he saw the scratches on Severus' shoulders. He looked at his hands and noticed that his claws had come unbidden and willed them away.

"We should probably shower… before dinner," Harry said quietly.

Severus nodded. "Can you stand?"

Harry laughed. "Probably not…"

So Severus carried him into the bathroom and filled the bath before depositing him in the large tub. He joined him moments later, sighing as the hot water soothed his aching muscles. Harry smiled, moving so that he was sitting between the man's legs. His smiled broadened when he felt strong arms encircle his waist.

"You spoil me…" Harry said contentedly.

"Maybe I shouldn't," Severus growled playfully.

Harry sighed happily and closed his eyes, leaning back against him. "No…" he breathed, "I like it."

Severus chuckled. "Of course you do," he said, grabbing the soap from a shelf. He lathered his hands before washing Harry's body. The boy practically melted into the relaxing touch and by the time it was done, he barely registered with reality.

However, when Severus moved to clean himself, he grinned mischievously, taking the soap from him. "Let me return the favor…" He worked the soap into Severus' body until he, too, was relaxed into an almost drunken state.

Satisfied that they were cleaned for dinner, Severus stood, making Harry groan in protest. "Get up and dressed, brat. Judging from the smell, dinner in ready."

Harry's stomach gave an affirming growl and he sighed, pulling himself out of the tub and dressing quickly. He followed Severus down to the dining room and sat next to him, noting the thick silence and odd stares he was receiving. He looked over at Severus, who could only raise and eyebrow and shrug.

"What's up guys?" he asked Ron and Hermione, who were pointedly avoiding his eyes.

Draco snickered, attempting to cover it with a 'cough'.

"What? Could somebody please elaborate on the joke, because I'm a bit confused?" Harry said.

"Er… well, you see…" Ron looked up, blushing, and cleared his throat, "You really _should_ learn the convenience of a Silencing spell…"

Harry's eyes widened and he blushed crimson. "Bloody hell…" he groaned.

Molly set the dinner on the table, taking a seat next to Arthur. "Tuck in, everybody! You, especially, Harry. I'm sure you could use the energy."

He groaned again. He heard a soft snort to his left and looked at Severus incredulously. The man was actually _laughing_!

"I'm glad you find this so hilarious, Severus," he snapped, "But I, for one, find the fact that my _family_… heard- all that- rather… embarrassing! And I don't appreciate your obvious amusement at my humiliation."

Severus contained his laughter and looked at Harry. "I'm sorry… I don't find your discomfiture amusing at all. I was simply laughing at the fact that Molly Weasley- one of the most stone-faced women I've ever met- was making sex jokes at the dinner table."

Draco suddenly burst into laughter, along with Fred, George, Ron, Tonks, and even Moody was chuckling. Harry blushed again.

"If it's any consolation, mate," Ron gasped, "You sounded like you were enjoying yourself!"

"Yes… a- rousing performance!" Fred added.

George clapped. "Encore!" he called, practically howling with laughter.

Harry buried his face in his hands, torn between beating them all to within an inch of their lives and crying. At the moment, he was leaning toward the latter.

"Excuse me!" Molly exclaimed, silencing them all at once, "We are at the dinner table, may I remind you, and this is certainly not appropriate dinner conversation. I was _not_ making any sex jokes, Severus, I was merely commenting on the fact that Harry's training must be taking a great deal of energy." She leveled them with a glare. "And most importantly, can't you lot see that you're upsetting Harry?"

Harry sent Molly a grateful smile, which she returned warmly.

"Sorry, mate," Ron said, "I didn't mean to be so- well, you know…"

Fred and George nodded. "Although… we really wouldn't mind,"

"An encore!"

Harry blushed and Severus glared at them. "I assure you, there will be no encore… I won't forget that spell again."

"Aww… damn!" Tonks said, pouting.

"Dora!" Remus exclaimed, aghast, "That's _Harry_!"

She grinned playfully. "Does it matter? It was still bloody hott!"

He rolled his eyes at her.

Draco scoffed. "Don't worry. He'll forget… but I'm sorry, too. For laughing…. I guess."

Harry grinned. "Well, I guess I should apologize, too. For being so- erm… loud."

Throughout the entire incident, McGonagal, Bill, and Fleur had remained silent. In fact, Harry had barely noticed that they were there… However, he looked over at them and paled. They hadn't known anything about Severus and his relationship… _Shit…_

"Er… surprise?" he said feebly, as they all filled their plates. Severus- unsurprisingly- filled Harry's plate for him, making sure that he ate as much as he could without bursting.

"It certainly is," McGonagal said faintly, "It would have been nice to have been given some warning, Harry."

"It would 'ave been nice not to 'ave 'eard zat at _all_…" Fleur said, "I do not zink I will ever get ze images out of my 'ead! Zat is not to say zat zey were all- unpleasant, but… _Zut Alors!_ Ze noises! You are very loud for one 'oo is so small…"

Harry blushed again.

Bill cleared his throat loudly. "I don't think that there is anything more to be said," he smiled, "I want to wish you both all of the happiness in the world. I'm not saying that this isn't _way weird_, but maybe… I don't know… maybe you can give Harry what he deserves."

Severus nodded. "Thank you."

"It certainly sounded like 'e can…" Fleur muttered.

The meal progressed without any incident beyond the occasional snickering or backhanded comment and Harry was thankful when everybody finished and they all retired to the sitting room. That is, except for Shacklebolt and Moody, who had to leave again on 'Order business'…

Harry sat himself in Severus' lap again, and was curled into the man, resting his head on his chest. He barely registered the conversation- only that it seemed to center on himself and Severus. He was happy just to have Severus' comforting warmth and supportive embrace.

"Harry? Harry!" Molly said, attempting to get his attention, "_Harry_!"

"Hmm?" he murmured, looking up.

"I asked you if you're happy," she said, "Does Severus make you happy?"

He smiled. "You wouldn't think so, would you? But he does… unbelievably so."

She returned the smile, relief showing in her face. "Actually, after seeing how he is with you, I _had_ thought so. I just wanted to hear it from you. And I'm glad that you're happy. After everything… I just wanted to make sure…"

He nodded, understanding her need to reassure herself.

Ron and Draco were still snickering lightly, but they were silenced by a glare from both Severus and Molly. Harry grinned. It seemed he would never have to worry about anything ever again. Surprisingly, this upset him. He could fight his own battles! He'd certainly done fine up until now…

He made a note to talk to Severus about it later and settled back again.

"So… what has the Order been up to?" he asked.

"Same as usual," Remus replied, "Stopping as many attacks as we can, capturing death eaters, trying to track down their base of operations. We've managed to capture several death eaters in the past month or so."

Harry smirked. "Good. The more support Voldemort loses, the better."

"Damn straight!" Tonks said, "Attacks have significantly decreased. Especially since…" She broke if into sinister little giggles.

"What? Since what?" Harry asked, curious.

"Well…" she said, "Since it appears that nobody else will support him. The aurors have gotten at least a dozen calls a week from people saying that they want to be put under protection. It seems there are few people these days who share his beliefs."

Harry shot up, positively beaming. "That's great! If we keep taking his old supporters away, and he can't get any new _minions_, then he won't stand a chance!"

"It's mostly thanks to you, Harry," Bill said.

"Me? What have I done?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"People want to support you," Remus answered, "It seems that the majority of the wizarding community fully supports _you_ as their leader, Harry."

He scoffed, rolling his eyes skeptically.

"It's true!" Arthur said, "Even Scrimgeour is backing you. He's made it abundantly clear at the last couple of press conferences about the war that he intends to do everything he can to aid you. He's got the entire staff of aurors at your command during the final battle. He's even gone so far as to send a few extra aurors to help the Order."

Harry blinked, utterly amazed. "That's… wow. That's unexpected."

"I don't think so," Remus said, "You're a natural leader, Harry. People admire you. They look up to you. You're strong and brave and loyal and completely unwavering in your faith and your convictions."

Hermione smiled when Harry blushed. "Don't look so surprised. Your survival as a baby may have been because of your mum, but since then you've faced him and his death eaters a multitude of time and come out on top. For heavens sake! You _dueled_ with him in your fourth year and survived!"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah… well…"

"Face it, mate. You're an incredibly powerful wizard. Not only that, but you inspire people to be… well, better people," Ron said, "In all honesty, people want to be more like you."

Tonks giggled. "Exactly. They know how you've dealt with You-Know-Who in the past. They've seen how you stand up to him, and that makes them want to emulate your actions and stand up, as well. I think everybody has had enough of rolling over for that egotistical bastard. If you want my opinion, he's not as powerful as he thinks. The only real thing he's got going for him is the fact that his soul is split up. Which is pretty pathetic, if you think about it…"

Harry laughed. "I've never heard it put like that! That's exactly how it is! He's just a bully! That's _it_. I've dealt with bullies before… this one's just got a bit of an advantage."

"Yes, but now that we know about this advantage," Severus said, "We can do something about it. And tip the scales in our favor."

"It sounds rather easy, doesn't it?" Draco mused, "The hard part will be tracking down the little bits of soul and destroying them."

Harry groaned. "Alright! Change of subject! Er… only- I don't know what to change it to…"

"How's your summer been?" Fred asked.

"Um. Fine. My uncle tried to kill me, I unknowingly apparated into the home of two people who I thought to be death eaters, found out I was a member of a rare race, had every previous image of Sev and Draco completely shattered, I was trained by an incredibly kind and powerful medi-witch, _and_ I found my mate," Harry said, grinning, "I'd say that's a decent summer…"

"Must have been rather boring…" George said sarcastically, "So how's the sex?"

"George!" Molly exclaimed.

Harry winked, beyond embarrassment at this point. "We can talk later…"

They laughed at him, although secretly they hoped he was telling the truth.

"Harry!" Molly turned to him, aghast.

He shrugged. "It's easier not to fight them, isn't it?"

Severus pinched his side lightly and he turned to glare at the man. "I sincerely hope you were joking."

"Why, Sev? You've certainly got nothing to be embarrassed about…" Harry said, smirking.

Draco and Ron groaned again, covering their ears. "Not again!"

"Again?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry blushed and Hermione suddenly found the sofa cushion she was sitting on _very_ interesting. "Er… well, you see- the thing is…" he sighed, defeated, "I may have talked about- some things…"

"With whom?" Severus asked.

Hermione gave a small squeak.

"Miss Granger? Did you have something to say?" Severus asked.

She blushed and cleared her throat. "I said, that he talked with… me."

Severus' eyebrows shot up. "You? I never would have thought you to be interested in such… activities."

Ron gave a shout of laughter. "Yeah right… the woman's a bloody nymphomaniac…"

They turned to look at him in disbelief and he blushed. "Um. Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, you did," Molly said.

"I had no idea that you and Hermione were- involved," Arthur added.

"Really, Arthur! It was almost brutally obvious!" Molly sighed, "And I suppose it's to be expected."

Hermione was blushing, as well, and she gave another small squeak before burying her face in her hands.

"Not so much fun to have the spotlight on _you_, is it?" Harry said.

She looked up long enough to stick her tongue out at him before returning her face to her hands.

Harry laughed, curling up to Severus again. It was nice to be with his friends and family. He never realized how much he missed them until he saw them. He sent up a silent prayer that he wouldn't lose any of them before drifting to sleep in Severus' arms.

XXX

There is chapter 8. Hooray! Hopefully nothing will keep me away from the computer again… lol. Don't forget to review! If you forget, I'll send the fuchsia plot bunnies after you! And trust me… they're rather nasty!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own it… *sigh* I guess I never will…..

A/N: This is, alas, the last chapter in this story. However, do not fret! For there are two other sister stories to this. I split the whole thing up into a trilogy. I thought it would be more fun… for me, anyway. So, there you are. That's how it is. Keep an eye out for "Core Pursuit" and "Obstacles of the Heart". Thank you!

Chapter Nine

~IX~

September first came sooner than Harry would have preferred. He spent his last day of summer break with Ron, Hermione, and Draco, talking about silly, inconsequential things and completely avoiding the topic of the upcoming school term and the impending war. His final night was spent with Severus. For the first time since their initial bonding, Severus made love to Harry. It was sweet, and gentle, and everything that the young man needed at such a nerve-wracking time.

Afterwards, they simply held each other. No words were spoken, but each took comfort in the warmth of the other's embrace. Those few moments alone expressed more emotion than words could ever convey.

Sleep did eventually find them and when they woke the next morning, it was to Hermione pounding on the door and shouting at them.

Harry sat up. "Alright! We're up!"

"About bloody time," he heard her mutter, "Lazy sodding…"

He chuckled. "Severus, you'd better get up and get ready before Molly comes up here."

Severus cracked one eye open before pulling him back down onto the bed and kissing him soundly. "I'm already 'up and ready', Harry."

Harry laughed, jabbing him softly in the ribs. "There'll be none of that today. We're already late waking up."

He jumped out of bed and ran to the shower. However, as soon as Severus joined him, his resolve melted. Later, Harry would curse the man for nearly making them miss the train, but at that moment, he was perfectly happy to miss breakfast so that Severus could give him a "proper goodbye".

When they boarded the Hogwarts Express, they found a compartment toward the back of the train. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco sat in silence for several moments before Ron pulled out his Quidditch magazine and pulled Draco into a deep conversation about who would win the World Cup, which was going on its fourth month. Harry gave his input when it was asked, but for the most part, he was completely lost in his own thoughts. Hermione spent most of the train ride drawing up NEWT study schedules for each of them and pestering Harry.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, poking him in the side for the third time, "Would you stop spacing out? We're nearly at Hogwarts. You should put your robes on."

"Hmm? Alright," he said.

He looked out of the window and in the distance, very faintly, he could see the glowing windows and dark silhouette of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He felt the prickle of tears in his eyes when he realized that he was going home. For the last time…

XXX

AARGH! It's so SHORT! But I felt that it was a nice end to Part One. "Core Pursuit" will take place in their seventh year, and WILL feature the final battle. YAY! Keep an eye out for it!


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